Welcome to Lovecraft
by Jack Coffison
Summary: Lovecraft Boarding School. Twice voted 'Least Generous' and 'Most Likely to Contain Unspeakable Horrors'. As the Mystery Twins enter the gates, who knows what kind of horrors they may have to face? Well, old enemies, monsters, and hormones. That's what. (Rated 'M' for Horror Themes) (Dipcifica)
1. Prologue

Prologue: Necronomicon

The demons prayed amidst a shower of blood. Their altar standing before them. Watching. It's eyes aglow with flames of bright red.

All around, the demons were to bow. To pray to the altar that their eternity of punishment might finally come to an end. That the slaves might finally find peace in annihilation.

The labor, the screaming and the punishment. It had reduced some of their number to empty husks, piled on top of each other- never allowed the grace of death. This was there future. Their eternity.

The shower of blood continued to fall, just as it always had. Piles of bodies joined together to form mountains. The suffering seemed only to spread. And as it did, the altars eyes became dark. When it's eyes formed fires of black, a sudden silence fell upon the wasteland of suffering.

The spirits of the undead began to rise into the air, as the screaming and weeping slowed to a stop. The essence of every demon, every tortured soul, rose into the sky and came together. An enormous swirling mass of pain in the sky. The blood rain ran down its surface, as tendrils of stretched out to lick the air.

A man of darkness approached the altar. Watching as the dark mass in the sky threatened to absorb everything around it.

"Shurr... Az yektore... Vestri... Aderin... Xyzcek."

The dark mass began to fall, the tendrils stretching out to the palm of his hand. He drew the darkness towards him. Changing it's shape. The man molded it his whim. The tortured souls and their infinite pain took the form of a book. Bound in black leather.

The man took it in his hands, and showed it to the alter.

The black fire in its eyes turned to black liquid. Falling down its face like a stream of tears. The altar fell into a pile of rubble, and disappeared in the lake of blood.

Lightning of red ran across the sky, as the man placed the book amongst the physical remains of the demon horde. Almost as a second thought, he knelt down and scribbled something on the cover.

The book was left there, in the darkest corner of Hell. It's name would become legend. And the source of almost as must pain as was captured within its pages.

The Necronomicon.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper rubbed his eyes, and frowned. The bus was overly air-conditioned, and completely packed with people. It wasn't that he had a problem with crowds- well, not a _big_ problem anyway- but he had been stuck in his seat for almost five hours now. He looked over at his twin sister, and felt a pang of jealousy.

She was fast asleep, with her face pressed against the window. Somehow, she had managed to sleep through almost the entire sleep. While he was stuck staring at the back of the seat in front of him and fighting back motion sickness.

He groaned.

The garbled static playing through the radio didn't help matters either. Nor did the fact that Mabel tended to snore. And drool. And 'sleep-punch'. Dipper placed his forehead on the back of the seat in front of him and closed his eyes. He had to get some sleep- he hadn't had a good nights rest since 'the Incident' back in Piedmont. It had been nothing but nightmares and anxiety since then- and Dipper was sick of it.

For the first time in his life, he wished that everything around him was a little more... normal.

The bus hit a bump, causing Dipper to smack his head against the seat.

He sighed.

It had been a few years since the greatest summer of his life back in Gravity Falls. But even after they left, the 'weirdness' seemed to follow him home. In fact, it seemed to follow him no matter where he went. Like some sort of curse.

First there was the time he realized that one of his schools most beloved basketball players was actually a werewolf. Then there was the harpy cheerleader. And the ghost in the girls toilets. And on, and on. It was like he had never left. Weird thing after weird thing kept popping up, leaving a long path of destruction in their wake.

At first, the people of Piedmont thought of him as a hero. Then, as if he was living in a movie of some kind from the eighties, the people turned against him. They all seemed to think that he was causing the so-called 'supernatural phenomenon' himself. And trying to run a big con on the entire town. In the end, he had managed to prove himself innocent- and stop the giant marshmallow monster in the process.

But he still attracted suspicious glances from the neighbors, and the kids at school. Eventually, Dippers parents decided that the best thing to do would be to send him to a new school. For a fresh start. And being the loyal sibling she was, Mabel had insisted on coming too.

And so there they were. On the bus to 'Lovecraft Boarding School'- one of the most well known rich kid schools in the world.

Apparently, the school was paying for both of their tuition's out of it's own pocket. Which was either an act of incredible generosity from the school twice labelled 'least generous' by Boarding School Aficionado Magazine, or there was something more sinister going on. Naturally, Dipper suspected the latter. Still- the idea of a fresh start was attractive to him. Maybe he could finally shed his label as the school outcast, and find a place that accepted him.

Dipper grimaced. 'Okay, it's not 'likely'. But... It's at least ' _possible_ ', right?' he thought.

There was an enormous thunder-clap outside, quickly followed by a flash of lightning. Dipper blinked, as he watched the rain fall outside. Thick black clouds began to block out the sun as the bus drove forward.

"It looks like a storm..." he muttered.

A few minutes went by, as the sound of the rain filled the bus. After a while, he noticed Mabel start fidgeting in her sleep. He took a deep breath, and tried to be as quiet as possible as he slid off his trench coat and draped it over her. She clutched at it like a blanket, and made a noise.

"Thanks, Dipper..." she whispered. A few minutes later, she was back to snoring. Dipper carefully brushed her hair out of her face before it ended up in her mouth. It wouldn't have been the first time.

Dipper took a deep breath, and leaned back in his chair. As time passed, Dipper felt his eyelids start to get heavier and heavier. It was dark outside, although Dipper couldn't tell if that was due to the time or the storm. And the sound of the rain seemed... soothing.

He yawned as he slowly closed his eyes.

 _He stood all alone._

 _His world empty. All life torn away but his._

 _He walked down the empty street. Through the empty forest. And stopped at the empty house._

 _He opened the door._

 _It all looked the same. Frozen in time. The place he belonged. In the town he belonged._

 _"Is this another dark and foreboding dream? You'll have to do better than that to impress me." muttered Dipper._

 _There was silence, as his voice seemed to echo throughout the Mystery Shack._

 _"Come on. I've dealt with you 'dream-manipulator' types like a dozen times now. You brought me here to tell me something cryptic and mysterious, right? Well, out with it. I don't have all day."_

 _"Aw, come on Dipper. You're ruining the fun."_

 _Dipper froze. There was a girl standing in front of him. And it wasn't just any girl, either. It was the girl that haunted his dreams. The first girl to ever try to reach out to him. Other than Mabel of course._

 _She was his first love. Wendy Corduroy._

 _It took Dipper a moment to regain his senses. He took a deep breath, and frowned at her._

 _She looked just the same. Freckles. Long red hair. A disarming, bewitching smile..._

 _Dipper took a deep breath. "That's... That's low. Using someone else's form... Why don't you show me your true self? Or are you scared!?" he yelled._

 _Wendy drew closer to him. He wanted to move away- but he couldn't. He was frozen in place._

 _She placed her forehead on his. Her eyes sparkling in the light as she stared deeply into his._

 _"Dipper... I'm here to foreshadow something. But... You have to take it seriously, okay?" she asked._

 _Dipper tried to open his mouth to say something, but nothing happened. She was too close... It was messing with his ability to think._

 _"Look, there's this book... And you are going to find it. And when you do... A bunch of weird stuff is going to go down. I want to help, but... My abilities are limited. So please, Dipper. You have to be careful. No matter what... The Necronomicon must not-"_

"Dipper! We're here!"

Dipper opened his eyes, as Mabel excitedly pressed her face against the window. "Look! It's like a castle!" she exclaimed. Dipper rubbed his eyes, and looked around. He was back in the bus, and all of the other passengers were starting to make their way out.

He looked over at the window, where it looked like Mabel had started making faces at the people who were already outside.

There was a set of enormous black metal gates. With sharp edges jutting out the top. Beyond thee gate was a long winding path to the silhouette of a castle. There was another flash of lightning- allowing him a clear view for only a split second. It appeared to be made of one enormous tower, surrounded by a pair of slightly shorter buildings. The entire place looked grey and desolate. Which was about what Dipper had expected.

It was still raining outside. So everyone had to huddle together while someone fumbled with the gate. Dipper and Mabel joined the crowd, both huddled underneath Dippers trench coat.

"Everyone get your bags and follow the path!"

It was impossible to tell who was speaking amidst the rain and the thunder, but everyone did what they were told. After a quick round of rock-paper-scissors, it was decided that Dipper would carry the bags, while Mabel tried to keep the trench coat safely over their heads.

The gates swung open, and others began to hurry down the long winding path.

Dipper and Mabel moved as quickly as they could. "Boy, this is a rough storm. I wonder if it rains like this all the time- Dipper?" Mabel suddenly stopped in her tracks when she realized that her brother was no longer under the trench coat with her. She turned around. He was standing just a few feet away, all by himself. Staring off into space as the rain washed over him. And the bags.

Mabel frowned. "Come on, Dipper! Now's not the time to be staring into darkness! You'll get sick!" she yelled.

But Dipper couldn't hear her. Because standing in front of him, was Wendy.

He gaped, as she pressed her forehead against his once more.

It felt warm.

"You can't let the Necronomicon be finished..." she whispered. Dipper began to shiver from the cold. "And Dipper? ...For you to survive what's coming, you will have to trust someone." she continued.

"Dipper! Come on! You're gunna get my sweaters wet! I only packed like a thousand!" yelled Mabel.

Dipper blinked. And Wendy was gone. He shook his head, and kept walking. As he joined his sister in approaching their new school/home, her heard her voice in the air once more.

 _"Trust someone."_

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

The man stood in the belly of hell. And watched as it fell all around him. The screaming went silent. The souls of the damned began to dissipate.

Suddenly, the air began to quake. The ground fell away, as did the sky. The entire dimension began to fall apart. And through the tears, a great beast reared its ugly head. An enormous titan of tentacles and fangs.

"Chthulu..."

The beasts roar ripped through the bones of hell.

"You will fall."

* * *

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

( **AN** : I'll post the first chapter in a few days. For now, even though I know there isn't a lot here to go on, I would love to here your thoughts. So! Please review.)


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Room Triple Six

The school assembly hall was an enormous room, with intricate and expensive light fixtures lined around the walls, along with the biggest chandelier that Dipper had ever seen. Hanging directly above the many rows of seats that the students were beginning to file into.

Dipper winced. That looked like an accident waiting to happen. So he took care to guide Mabel over to a seat as far off to the side as possible.

The seats were facing a massive stage with an enormous set of red curtains closed in front of it. They were decorated by thousands of petals embroidered with fine gold thread.

Dipper was still dripping wet from the rain outside. And he had already started leaving puddles of water on the expensive looking carpet that covered the floor. It looked like something that one might see through the lens of a kaleidoscope. A mess of patterns and colors swirling amongst themselves.

Dipper held his trench coat to his side as he took a seat next to Mabel, and watched the other students talk and mill about. Everyone was wearing the same uniform. A white button up shirt underneath a black sweater vest. Long black pants for the boys, and long black skirts for the girls.

The uniform wasn't all that uncomfortable- at least not for Dipper. Although he still hadn't quite figured out how to tie his tye on properly. Mabel on the other hand seemed to be going through some form of withdrawal symptoms. Wearing clothes that were virtually colorless seemed to really be getting to her.

At least, that's what Dipper had gathered from the way Mabel had been rocking back and forth and muttering 'No colors, no glitter make Mabel a dull girl...' for the past few minutes. All he could do was pat her on the shoulder and hope that eventually it would pass.

Suddenly, the curtains in front of the stage began to rise. Big overhead spot lights sprang to life, illuminating the stage in a bright orange glow. Sitting in the middle of the stage was a tall black podium. It was covered in a mess of odd looking symbols and shapes, and was surrounded by a small group of lights that were trained on it at all times. There was something written across the front of it, but Dipper couldn't quite make it out from where he was sitting.

A tall dark figure slowly emerged from the side of the stage, and made it's way towards the podium. Somehow, it wasn't until he stood at the podium that he didn't look like a mere silhouette. He was a tall, thin man. Dressed in an expensive looking tuxedo complete with a red rose in the front pocket. He wore a pair of white gloves over his bony hands- but that wasn't the most noticeable aspect of his appearance.

That was the mask. It was shaped to fit perfectly over the front of his face, and it was completely blank and featureless. And pure white. Just like his gloves.

" _Good evening."_

The entire room went silent. And Dipper noticed Mabel snap out of her color-withdrawal in an instant to stare up at the tall, slender man standing at the podium.

" _Welcome, to Lovecraft Boarding School. I, am Mister Lovecraft. The head of this school. I say this, because as of today our school will be welcoming a new group of students. Please, welcome these new peers with open arms_."

Dipper shuddered. The man's voice didn't seem to be muffled by the mask at all- nor could he see a microphone anywhere on the podium. The man spoke in a soft whisper. And yet, it seemed to fill the room all by itself. It was, in a word, unsettling.

 _"Now I am sure that our new students are eager to find their new rooms, and to meet their new roommates. So, I shall keep this breif. This year, as we do every year- We should all strive to do our best. To rise up to any adversity, and cleave it away. And it is my hope that by working with our peers, we may do just that. And spend our time here evolving to become the best there ever was."_

Everyone clapped politely, as Mister Lovecraft stepped off the podium and seemed to disappear.

 _"Please follow Mister Valvatorez to your rooms. Classes shall resume once more, tomorrow."_

Dipper blinked, as he did his best to figure out where his voice could have possibly been coming from, while everyone else slowly got up out of their chairs and made their way to the exit. "Okay- That guy was... creepy. What'd you think of him, Mabel?" asked Dipper.

Unfortunately, his voice was lost to her as she stared off into space. "What a... _dreamboat_..." she muttered.

Dipper winced. "Oh, no... _No_ , Mabel..." he pleaded. Unfortunately, it was too late. They hadn't even been at their new school for twenty minutes yet, and Mabel had already found her new crush.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Mister Valvatorez was a tall, pale man with long black hair. He was wearing a large black Victorian era suit, that looked to be at least a few hundred years old. Complete with a long cape, red on the outside and black on the outside. All of his clothes seemed frayed at the edges, with a few rips and tears hear and there. Some of them had been sewn together, but the majority of them had not.

He had long pointy ears poking out from underneath the tufts of hair, and a pair of sharp looking fangs poking out from behind his top lip. His hair was tied back in a ponytail, and despite his clothes, he seemed to hold an air of nobility. As he guided the students through the hallways, Mabel let out a happy sigh.

She had found crush number two.

Dipper rolled his eyes.

After making their way through a few winding hallways, Mr Valvatorez suddenly stopped, and turned to face the group of students.

"Now then, children. As you may have guessed, there are a number of rules and regulations in place concerning fraternization between genders. While healthy romantic relationships between people of opposite genders or the same are by no means against the rules, you will find that it _is_ against the rules for those relationships to occur within the dormitories. If you must insist on making googly eyes at each other, then either do so in moderation and _outside_ of your rooms- or take a cold shower." said Mister Valvatorez. There was something in his eyes that told Dipper that he was probably being completely serious.

"I treat these rules with as much respect and dedication as I do a promise- and I shall expect each and every one of you to do the very same." he continued. "Now then- Will all of the male students please follow me to the male dormitories. The ladies shall be accompanied by Mrs Voorhees... As soon as she makes her entrance." he muttered.

Suddenly, a figure appeared from behind Mr Valvatorez and stepped out in front of the group of students.

Dipper blinked.

She was short, and incredibly thin. Wearing a pair of old looking jeans with tears and stains all over them, and a shirt the read 'Camp Cry-' before it was smothered in blotches of red. It looked like she had stained it with ketchup or... or something. Her arms and legs were covered in bandages. Some of them going over her clothes.

She was also wearing a hockey mask over her face. Underneath another mess of bandages that had been wrapped all over her head. Dipper could barely make out her beady blue eyes from behind the mask and the bandages, and he wished that he hadn't. Her eyes looked... crazy. And the tufts of long silver hair poking out of the bandages on her head didn't do much to make her look any less crazy.

Mrs Voorhees chuckled to herself. "Sorry fer bein' late, Mister _Val_." she said, her shaky voice giving hints of what sounded like a thick southern accent. "I was caught up... Punishin' some trouble makers..." she chuckled creepily to herself, as her entire frame seemed to shake.

Mister Valvatorez nodded. "I see. You will not be receiving your pay check for the month." he said.

Mrs Voorhees' eyes practically popped out of her hockey mask. "WHAT!?" she bellowed.

"Yes. If you recall, _you_ were the one who promised me that you would no longer be tardy, Mrs Voorhees. For the crime of breaking a promise- even a paycheck is not nearly enough penance. However, I was asked not to go any further than that. Some people are simply too merciful for their own good." said Mister Valvatorez.

Mrs Voorhees twitched. She let out a low growl as she suddenly grabbed Mister Valvatorez by the collar. He didn't so much as flinch as she screamed in his face. "THAT IS MY PAYCHECK! MINE! YOU WILL NOT TAKE IT FROM ME! NOT EVER! NO ONE STEALS FROM ME! I WILL GUT YOU LIKE A-" she bellowed, before Mister Valvatorez calmly raised his hand to stop her.

"Now, now. There is no need for theatrics, Mrs Voorhees. You are scaring the students." said Mister Valvatorez, as he gestured towards the group of quiet, frightened teenagers. "If your meager paycheck truly means so much to you, then you may keep it. However, I still expect you to clean out the faculty office as punishment for your tardiness. And should you fail to do so... Then you will be sentenced to something much worse than simply losing your _paycheck_." he said.

Mister Valvatorez's voice remained calm, but there was something strangely threatening about it. Once Mrs Voorhees had let him go, but not without another angry growl, Mister Valvatorez straightened his jacket and faced the students once more.

"Now then- as I was saying. Male students, please follow me down this hallway- and the ladies shall follow Mrs Voorhees." he instructed. As the students slowly broke up into two groups, Mabel turned to Dipper with a look of concern.

"Okay- so first of all, am I crazy or is there some kinda spark between Mrs Voorhees and Mister Valvatorez? Should I be worried? And second- I thought we were going to share a room!" she exclaimed.

Dipper frowned. "Alright... So number one, yes you _are_ crazy to think that what just happened between the teachers could possibly be called a 'spark'- and second... That's what I thought too. Here- let me talk to Mister Val... Za... Whatever his name is." said Dipper as he moved towards Mister Valvatorez.

Mabel let out a squeal. "Tell him I said hi!" she exclaimed.

Dipper sighed, as he slowly made his way through the crowd of students.

"Uh, Mister Valvatorez?" the instant those words left Dippers mouth, Valvatorez was suddenly standing right in front of him- looking calm. "Yes, young lad? Did you have a question about sardines?" asked Mister Valvatorez.

"Uh... _What_? No- No, I- _What_?" Dipper sputtered.

Valvatorez's mood seemed to brighten considerably. "Sardines, young lad! Nature's secret to eternal health and serenity! You may have to be careful with some of those little bones of course..." said Valvatorez.

"Uh... No- No it's not about sardines..." said Dipper.

Valvatorez seemed disappointed by that. "Oh..." he muttered. "But you look to be in such dire need of nutrition! Look at you- so sickly. Such ill-health is not befitting a student of this academy! I must insist that you eat more sardines!" he announced.

"I don't want to talk about sardines!" yelled Dipper.

"Very well... Then what is your non-sardine related inquiry, young lad?" asked Valvatorez.

Dipper sighed. "Look, I was told that I could have a room with my sister... So, is that true or what?" he asked.

Valvatorez stroked his chin in thought. "Hmm... Well, if such a promise was truly made then I will do my very best to see that it comes to pass. I do seem to recall something about a special 'exception' to the rules for a certain new student..." suddenly he clicked his fingers. "Ah! Perhaps you are the one who will be filling the space in room triple six!"

Dipper scratched his head. "Well, uh... I wouldn't really know..." he muttered.

Valvatorez flipped his cape behind him, and let out a loud bellowing laugh. "There is no need to fear, young lad! I shall fulfill my duty in showing you to your room- and I shall see that you are quickly reunited with your beloved sister!" he announced.

From somewhere in the background, Mabel let out another long squeal. "Oh my gosh! That's me! He mentioned me!" she exclaimed. Mrs Voorhees gave a low hiss. "QUIET! Now hurry up and follow me! If you get lost, I will _not_ be coming back for you!" she bellowed.

Dipper frowned, and walked over to Mabel. "Listen, let's just go to the rooms we were assigned too, and I'll talk to that Lovecraft guy about our rooms a little later. I wanna go have little talk with him anyway..." he muttered.

Mabel bit her lip. "Oh... Okay... But are you sure you'll be okay all by yourself? You'll be awful lonely without ol' Mabel..." she said.

Dipper smiled. "I'll be fine. Mystery Twins?" he asked.

Mabel smiled back. "Mystery Twins."

And so the groups of boys and girls parted ways at a particularly creepy looking hallway. And as Mabel and the girls squeezed into an elevator and Dipper and the boys made their way down a long spiraling staircase, the Mystery Twins took deep breaths.

'I hope she'll be okay...' thought Dipper.

'I hope he'll be okay...' thought Mabel.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Mabel ran her tongue over her teeth as she followed Mrs Voorhees into a hallway with old pink wallpaper covered in faded pink love-hearts. It hadn't been too long since she had her braces removed, and she still hadn't quite gotten used to life without metal on her teeth.

Suddenly, Mrs Voorhees spun around on her heels and glared at the girls. "This is y'all floor" she hissed, as she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. "I'll read out your name, and then the number of your room. Once you've found your room, you'll find your luggage inside. " she continued. "And by the way- when ya'll 're inside... Lock yer doors and stay inside. If you know what's good fer ya."

While Mrs Voorhees went down her list of names and rooms, Mabel found herself lost in thought. 'I wonder if Dipper's going to stumble onto another creepy adventure while we're here... I hope it isn't sea monsters again. So _slimy_... Hmm- I think I'm in the mood for something really fun... Like... Oh, I know! Maybe he'll find a wardrobe that's actually a portal to a world made entirely out of desert! Or maybe a dance party... With poodles!'

"Pines!" bellowed Mrs Voorhees.

Mabel suddenly snapped out of her daydream involving dancing with cute poodle-men in the middle of a feild of strawberry ice-cream and stood at attention. "Yes, ma'am?" she asked.

"Your room..." hissed Mrs Voorhees. "You have been given room number thirteen... Now git. And _never_ come back." she growled.

Mabel smiled. "Yes ma'am!" she sang, as she raced down the hall.

Mrs Voorhees flinched at her cheerful enthusiasm, and moved on to the rest of the group.

It didn't take long for Mabel to find a door with the word 'Thirteen' on it in silver, and in fancy cursive writing. She bit her lip as she felt her heart skip a beat. "I wonder if there're already people in there..." she muttered. She took a deep breath, and frowned. Being nervous wasn't like her. Being nervous was more of a Dipper thing.

"Besides, I'm _Mabel_ for crying out loud... _Everybody_ loves _Mabel_..." she muttered. She drew her hand toward the door to knock- only to suddenly stop. She ran her tongue over her teeth. Still no metal. She took another deep breath. And knocked on the door.

"Come in!" came a voice from inside.

Mabel grabbed the handle, and opened the door very slowly. And when she saw what was inside...

She screamed with all her might.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Mister Valvatorez let the group of boys down a hallway with old blue wallpaper covered in faded white skulls and crossbones. As they walked by the rows of doors, he would point to one, and say the name of whoever the room belonged too. And once that person was safely inside their room, he would move on.

Finally, Dipper was the only one left without a room. Mister Valvatorez turned to face him, holding a clipboard in his hands. "Now then... Ah- It's _you_ , young lad! You must be-" Mister Valvatorez said Dippers first name, and Dipper blinked in surprise. It had been a very long time since somebody had called him by _that_ name. Even his own parents had taken to using the nickname he had since kindergarten.

Dipper coughed. "Uh... Most people just call me Dipper..." he muttered.

Mister Valvatorez nodded. "Very well- most people call me Overlord Tyrant, but I do still happen to prefer Valvatorez." he said. "Now then, Dipper, it would appear that you were assigned a very special room indeed... It is the closest room to the dining hall- a highly coveted position. Room triple six... Come. I shall guide you there with all my might."

Dipper nodded slowly. "Uh... okay..." he muttered.

After walking for a few minutes in complete silence, Dipper cleared his throat. "So, uh- Mister Valvatorez, have you worked at this school for a while?" he asked.

Valvatorez chuckled to himself. "Ah, yes- I was told that you were a curious one... Well, I have been a teacher at this small school for..." he trailed off as he began to think. "Fifty years? Yes, about that."

Dipper blinked. "What!? You've been here for-... How _old_ are you?" he asked.

Valvatorez chuckled once more. "Well, to you I'm sure I would appear to be very old indeed. However, I still happen to consider myself quite young... Yes... Quite young indeed..." he frowned, as something seemed to cross his mind. "... Young... and even _foolish_." he shook his head, and glanced at Dipper.

"And what of you, young lad? How old are you?" asked Valvatorez.

Dippper rubbed his hand over the hair hanging over his forehead. "I'm... Fifteen. Although I guess a part of me feels a lot older... and... also younger." he muttered.

"Ah, yes- Such is youth. I'm sure you have a mountain of hardships ahead of you, young Dipper. But as long as you persevere, you will continue to grow. And to change. During your time at this school... Do not be afraid to consult me or your other teachers should you feel overwhelmed by an obstacle. As instructors, it is our sacred duty to help young people like you grow... and to flourish." said Valvatorez.

"Uh... Okay, sure. I'll... I'll do that." said Dipper.

"Ah- do forgive me. I have been told in the past that my propensity for speeches often leaves people feeling quite overwhelmed." said Valvatorez.

Dipper shook his head. "No, uh... It's fine. I'm not really, uh... Much of a talker...Any more. And I'm used to listening to people talk forever... I do have a teenage sister after all." he said.

"I see..." muttered Valvatorez. Suddenly, he stuck his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a small lunch box. He flipped it open, and pulled out a thin brownish... thing. "Would you care for a dried sardine? They're almost as nutritious as they are when fresh!" he exclaimed.

Dipper slowly took the dried fish from his hand, and muttered a thank you. It was crunchy, and insanely salty. But- he had forgotten to eat breakfast. So Dipper wasn't about to complain.

The hallway they were in had dull red wallpaper, as well as a line of fancy looking light fixtures and portraits. Finally, they stopped in front of a big black door, with the words 'Six Six Six' written across in gold. Dipper sighed. "Room _six-six-six_? Really?" he muttered.

Valvatorez nodded. "Yes... Now, young Dipper... I fear I must warn you. You were selected to be the room-mate of a person who can be somewhat... difficult. However..." he trailed off with a frown. "No... Never mind. Well then, young Dipper. I shall take my leave. Lunch will begin soon, and you will be instructed to make your way to the dining room. It is just down the hall, through the large brown doors. You and the other students will be resuming your classes tomorrow." he said.

"Good luck... Dipper. I hope that you enjoy your time here at Lovecraft Boarding School." and with that, Valvatorez turned around, and walked off. Leaving Dipper standing by the door alone.

He frowned. 'I don't think I can trust that guy...' he thought. The words that Wendy- or something pretending to be Wendy- had said to him just a few hours earlier.

'Trust Someone.'

His frowned deepened, as he reached for the door knob. "Well I don't trust you either..." he muttered. "So if you tell me to trust, then I'll just do the opposite. Unless... Unless you _want_ me to be extra paranoid, and thus secluded... And vulnerable. Maybe you're playing one of those _reverse_ reverse-psychology games? Well, I-"

Wendys face flashed in his mind, and he flinched. It was hard not to trust something that came out of her mouth. In her voice. Even if it was more than likely an impostor. He shook his head, and opened the door.

The room was enormous. And quite possibly the most suffocatingly fancy place he had ever stepped foot in. Or in the very least, a close second.

It had soft red wallpaper, covered in intricate markings of black that weaved in and out of each other. There were a few more fancy looking light fixtures on the walls, and a gold and crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. At the back wall, there was an enormous brick fireplace. On it was a long shelf, with a group of shiny gold trophies standing on it.

There was another big painting hanging just above the trophies. This one appeared to be of a boy, sitting at a desk and scribbling furiously into a book. While shadows closed in on him from behind. Dipper walked towards the painting, and frowned. In the picture, the boy was lit with the dull orange glow from a candle he had on the desk with him. Although the candlelight did a good job at making the picture look somewhat ominous, it did not highlight the boys face.

Dipper rubbed his hair over his forehead. The painting reminded him of something- although he wasn't sure what.

The room had two beds on either side of the room. One of them was covered in frilly looking pillows and sheets, while the other one had his suitcase sitting on it. Dipper shook some of the remaining rainwater out of his trench coat, and then put it back on before making his way over to his suitcase.

He had opened it and started rummaging around when he heard a noise at the doorway. He turned around just in time to see the door suddenly swing open, and a blonde girl stride in holding a cellphone to her ear.

"No, I don't know the name. But-" she stopped mid-sentence when she noticed scowled. "Sorry, Hershey- Something's come up. I'll see you at lunch." she said, before closing her phone and putting it in her dress pocket. She put her hands on her hips, and frowned at him.

"Alright- what do you want?" she asked.

Dipper rubbed his hair over his forehead, and cleared his throat. "Uh... I was supposed to be staying here... I- I think..." he muttered.

The girl frowned. "What? You expect me to believe they sent me a _boy_ for a roommate?" she demanded.

Dipper shrugged. "I don't know... I guess. D- Don't worry about it, though. I was going to go talk to that, uh... Mister Lovecraft about getting a room with my sister..." he muttered. Dipper cursed himself inwardly for his own nerves. He hadn't been very good at talking to girls since he was twelve years old. Especially pretty ones.

And she was definitely pretty. Although kind of in a stereotypical valley girl kind of-

Suddenly, Dipper froze. The girl had long, beautiful blonde hair. She was wearing purple eye shadow and black eyeliner. Diamond earings. Soft pink lipstick. And her uniform looked to be in pristine condition. Not a single fold or crease. She had certainly _grown_. In more ways than one. But there was no mistaking it. He gulped.

"Uh, can you please stop staring at me? You're starting to creep me-" the blonde girl said, only to be hastily interrupted.

"... _Pacifica_?" sputtered Dipper.

The girl sighed, and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, great. Your a _fan_. Listen I don't really do autographs and stuff. But if you like, I'll let you go get me a coffee. Double espresso. Something tells me I'm going to need it..." she muttered.

Dipper grimaced. And in an instant, all of his nervousness seemed to fall away.

"You're the _worst_." he muttered.

Pacifica blinked, and then frowned. "Excuse me? You're lucky I'm even letting you do _that_ you creepy-" suddenly, she froze. He was tall, and pale. He was wearing glasses, and she could make out what looked like a number of faded scars on his face and neck. He was also wearing a trench coat- giving him the look of a detective straight out of an old black and white movie. But his face... the look in his eyes... and the old tattered cap he was wearing...

She took a deep breath. "D-... Dipper? I-... I mean, _Pines_? Is that you?" she sputtered.

Dipper quietly nodded. Then, he went back to rummaging around in his luggage, while Pacifica stood there and struggled to process what was going on. A few minutes went by before Pacifica finally managed to find some words.

"Why?" she sputtered.

Dipper pulled a book out of his suitcase, and quietly put it in a pocket on the inside of his trench coat. Then, he turned turned to face her once more. "I was... invited." he said.

Pacifica frowned. "Invited? You can't get _invited_ to this school! You've got to be the best of the best! You've got to have money, power-"

"Uh-huh. Listen, I think I'm going to go take a look don't worry- I'll figure out a way to switch rooms with someone else as soon as possible.." he said, before going back to rummaging through his suitcase. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for, and to quickly stash it in one of the inside pockets on his trench coat.

With that, he walked past her and towards the door.

"Hey! Wait a second, Pines! I'm not done talking to you!" yelled Pacifica.

Dipper ignored her, and left the room without a word. Leaving Pacifica standing there, fuming. She felt her hands ball into fists. She hadn't been _this_ angry since the last time she had come in contact with him.

She took a deep breath.

If he thought he was going to be able to get away with ignoring Pacifica Northwest- he had another thought coming.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper walked down the hallway for a while, occasionally stopped to stare at paintings and pull at light fixtures. Over his short time as a paranormal investigator of sorts, he had seen every cartoon horror cliche come to life. From the person looking through the eyeholes of a painting from the other side of the wall, to the 'everything is a lever that opens a secret door'.

Of course, he had also come across a few haunted houses that didn't have any secret rooms or anything, but it never hurt to check.

'I hope Mabel's okay...' he thought. 'She went to the girls rooms, right? Maybe she's already found herself some new friends or something... She's always been good at that...'

He smiled. And continued his search.

It only took a few minutes for him to come across a portrait that was hanging crooked on the wall. Dipper frowned. Everything else was hanging in place just so. That one painting was the only one along the long hallways that seemed to have been moved.

Dipper rubbed his chin in thought. The painting was of a black hole, with long green tentacles slowly coming out of the center. Dipper winced. "Why are no non-creepy paintings here?" he muttered to himself. He shook his head, and slowly drew his hand to the picture frame.

The picture moved to the side fairly easily, revealing a small switch behind it. With a shrug, Dipper flipped the switch, and moved the painting back in place. The wall next to the painting began to rise into the ceiling, revealing a long set of stairs into complete darkness.

"Okay, one point Dipper- zero points creepy boarding school." he muttered.

Dipper patted down his pockets, and frowned. "Great- I left my flashlight back in my suitcase..." he muttered. "And I left all my usual gear back there too..." Dipper rubbed his fringe over his forehead. 'Well, there's no way I'm going back there... I got enough snobby girls talking down to me back in Piedmont...' he thought.

He sighed. A part of him was disappointed. When he left Gravity Falls a few years ago, he had really hoped that she might be on track to be someone... A little better. Or at the very least, not a jerk.

"But people don't change..." he muttered. "Not even me."

He shook his head. "Well... If I guess I've gotta do something to fill the time 'till lunch..." he muttered with a shrug.

And with that, Dipper made his way down the long dark staircase. Unaware of the figure following close behind...

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper traced his fingers along the cold brick wall as he walked. There hadn't been any corners to take yet, but when they came up he knew that he would have to keep careful track of them. He didn't have Mabel around to supply crayons or multi-colored chalk to mark the walls with, after all. So, he was going to have to rely on his memory.

The hallways was too dark to see his hand in front of his face, and as he kept moving he had to do his best to keep calm. He had gotten almost gotten used to dangerous feeling situations like these over the past few years. In fact, he was more frightened by the idea of talking to a girl than any category ten ghost. Still, there was something about the thick, heavy atmosphere in that cramped, dark hallway that made him stand on edge.

He took a deep breath, and did his best to slow his heartbeat. He didn't want fear to go around clouding his thought patterns like it did when he was talking to a girl. Otherwise he would just be reduced to a jittering, sweaty mess. Just like it had when-

There was a noise from somewhere up ahead. Dipper shook the bad memories away, and frowned.

Then it happened again. Louder this time.

It was the sound of metal scraping against cement. It would go on for a few seconds, and then suddenly stop. Then after a few seconds of silence, it would happen again. And each time, it seemed to be getting closer.

Dipper went still.

A low hiss filled the hallway, as something seemed to draw closer in the darkness.

Until finally, he saw a set of big yellow eyes. They were enormous, both glowing very dimly in the dark. They were each encircled by about a dozen small glowing circles. The smaller ones glowed red. But neither the big ones or the small ones appeared to have any pupils.

Even with the dull glow provided by its eyes, the creatures form was entirely cloaked in darkness. It paused for a moment. Then, it began to creep closer.

Dipper clenched his jaw, as he felt warm air start brushing against his skin. It smelled like rotten meat and dirt.

'Alright, Dipper. You're an experienced paranormal investigator now- more or less. I mean, I still haven't gotten my official certification, but- that's not important! Okay, now you've dealt with this kind of stuff before... All you need to do is come up with a thoughtful, elegant plan of escape...' he thought. Dipper slowly nodded to himself, and took a deep breath.

"Look! Over there! It's Icelandic pop sensation Babba!" he yelled. The creature let out a noise as it turned to look. Dipper moved faster than he thought was possible.

"I can't believe that worked..." he muttered to himself, as he ran as fast as his legs would carry him through the long dark hallway. He glanced behind just in time to watch the eyes seemed to float across the floor, then the walls, then the ceiling as the sound of its claws scraping against the surface filled the air.

It was getting closer. He could feel it.

Dipper turned his gaze frontwards, just in time to see a flash of light, and suddenly smack into something. It sent him tumbling forward, along with whatever it was that he had ran into. There was a girlish yelp that, surprisingly, did not come from Dipper, as they tumbled across the floor.

By the time he had finally stopped tumbling across the floor, he found himself lying on top of something. Something soft. He opened his mouth to say something- when he suddenly felt the creatures breath on the back of his neck.

The creature let out another low hiss, as the space between its eye opened up, revealing a swirling mass of razor sharp teeth. A group of tentacles slowly rose out of its throat, and seemed to lick the air. There was a flood of thick, viscous slime beginning to drip out from the entrance of its mouth, as it hissed again.

Suddenly, there was another flash of light. Right into Dippers face. He flinched, as the light slowly moved upwards to highlight the creatures face.

The creature let out an ear-splitting shriek as a thin line of smoke began rise from out of its eyes. It ran away. Disappearing in almost an instant.

"Wh-... What..."

Dipper rubbed his eyes, and squinted down at the person lying underneath him.

"Pacifica!?" he sputtered.

She looked pale, and she had a flashlight gripped tightly in her hands. She looked up at him.

"D-... Dipper?" she breathed. "Wha... What..." she began to tremble, and she had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "What... was _that_?" she finally asked.

Dipper shrugged. "I don't know... I didn't really get a good look at it..." he muttered. "I can't believe this school had something like that- along with the general bad haunted house vibe..."

"Di-... I mean... _Pines_ \- could you please get off of me?" muttered Pacifica.

Dipper blinked. "O-oh... Sorry..." he muttered, as he stood himself up. His face was red, but he did his best to ignore it.

Pacifica raised her hand in the air, and waited for him to take it and help her to her feet. When he never did, she frowned, and got to her feet by herself.

For a while, the two of them just stood there in silence. Until finally, Dipper broke it.

"How... I mean... Were you following me?" he asked.

Pacifica huffed. "As _if_. I just-..." she trailed off suddenly, as she began to carefully pick her words. "I... I was just indulging in my charitable side, and I thought I would just... Let you know, that lunch was starting soon. That's... That's all. And when I saw that painting and the secret passageway, I just knew you were doing your little... you know... ' _investigating_ ' thing." she said.

Dipper stared at her for a moment. It was hard for either of them to see much of anything, since the only source of light they had was the flashlight in Pacifica's hand. He thought about it for a while, and then nodded.

"Okay... Thank you, Pacifica. I'd probably be monster-meat if it weren't for you." he said.

"Y-yeah, well... I guess you'll owe me one now..." she muttered.

"Yeah, I guess so..."

Another awkward silence. Then suddenly, Pacifica let out a loud gasp. Dipper very nearly jumped out of his socks. "What is it!?" he asked.

"My purse! I must have dropped it!" she yelled.

Dipper rubbed his temples. "You have got to be kidding me..." he muttered.

"Of course not! I never joke about purses! Besides, that one's special!" exclaimed Pacifica.

"Oh, come on- What do you even need a purse here for anyway? There aren't any malls or anything around for _miles_."

"It's a fashion accessory! Plus, I keep all my make-up in there. And my cellphone, breath-mints, my compact, spare hair-clips and my emergency flashlight and super-mace!"

"How do you fit all of that into one purse? Also- what is _super_ -mace?"

"Well, it's like mace or, you know, pepper-spray... Except it's _super_."

Dipper sighed. "Alright, _fine_... We'll look around a little for your purse... But after that- we need to get out of here. Plus... Lunch sounds pretty good about now. I need to get the taste of that dried sardine out of my mouth..." he muttered.

Pacifica smiled. And as they got to work looking for her purse, that smile never left her face.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Mabel suffered from a very unique kind of pain every now and again. It happened whenever she visited a petting zoo, or whenever she finished knitting a particularly amazing sweater. She called it 'smilers ache'. And she got it, strangely enough, when she smiled. Or, to be more specific, whenever she smiled _big_. And for an extended period of time.

And at the moment, Mabel had one of the biggest smilers aches she had ever had. And just like always, she didn't care one bit.

As she joined the flood of people pouring into the dining hall, Mabel made her way to one of the long wooden tables, and took a seat. The seats on either side of her were immediately filled by the girls that she had come into the dining hall with.

"This is so amazing! And fabulous! It's _fantabulous_! Wait, that's 'fantastic' and fabulous... Well, you guys know what I mean." said Mabel. "Dipper's going to be so surprised!"

Sitting on both sides of her, Candy and Grenda shared the same enormous grin.

"Yeah- But probably not as surprised as you were! You screamed for almost five minutes straight!" said Grenda.

Candy nodded. "Yes. I was both impressed _and_ disturbed." she added.

"Well we haven't seen each other in so long! It's been since around last summer that we last saw each other! Grenda- I can't tell you enough how much I love your hair!" Mabel exclaimed.

Grenda chuckled to herself. Somehow, she had managed to tie her hair into a set of big puff balls. One on either side. Almost like the ears of a cartoon mouse that Mabel had seen somewhere before.

"Yeah- I had it in an afro for a while, but I think this fits me a little better." said Grenda.

"I like to poke them... They are sooo _puffy_." added Candy, as she reached over and poked at her friends hair.

"Uh-huh... But I've been thinking about switching to dreadlocks... Or maybe a Mohawk. What do you girls think?" asked Grenda. Although it shouldn't have been physically possible, Mabel's smile grew even wider.

"We could do a whole make over thing! I've even got my emergency glitter waiting in my suitcase!" said Mabel.

As the girls continued to talk amongst themselves, the dining hall continued to fill with students. Among the last wave of people, Dipper and Pacifica split apart without a word. Pacifica made her way towards the 'VIP' section, while Dipper tried to find his sister amongst the horde of people.

Luckily, she was very loud.

As he made his way to where she was sitting, it took him a moment to recognize the girls sitting next to her. But when he did, he had to stop in his tracks. 'Candy and Grenda too? That's... That's crazy. Who _else_ is going to show up?' just as that thought popped up in his head, he caught a glimpse of something over in the VIP section. A short, pale boy, with a big head of paper white hair.

He twitched. "I... No... I've gotta be seeing things..." he muttered.

"DIPPER! DIPPER! OVER HERE! QUICKLY!" bellowed Mabel from across the room. Causing people to turn to look at her, and then turn to look at him. Dipper pulled his cap down a little further on his head, as he hurried over to his excited sister. By the time he had made it over to her, they had turned back to whatever they were doing before. But for some reason, Dipper could still feel there eyes boring holes in his back.

"Check it out, Dipper! I went into the room they assigned me too- and look who was there! This has gotta be the most super-amazing coincidence ever!" exclaimed Mabel. Grenda and Candy both shot him a polite smile and a wave.

"Hey, Dipper! It's been a long time! You look scrawny-er!" said Grenda. Candy nodded. "Yes. But just as sweaty and awkward as ever." she added.

Dipper sighed, and nodded. "Thanks... I guess." he muttered. "It's nice to see you both. You uh... You look a lot bigger, Grenda." he said.

Grenda grinned. "Thanks! I've been working out even more lately- I gotta keep in shape if I'm going to keep my title of strongest woman back in Gravity Falls!" she exclaimed, as she smacked her fist into her hand for emphasis.

Dipper nodded, slowly. "Uh-huh... And uh... Candy-... Is your hair _pink_?" he asked.

Candy nodded. "Uh-huh. I also have some purple highlights in there... Oh, and I also have this amazing little hair-clip... See?" she asked, gesturing to hair-clip hanging on for dear life on one of her bangs. It looked like a butterfly formed out of orange glass, and studded with tiny sparkling rocks. It was also big enough that, from a distance, it looked real. Candy lovingly patted it, while Dipper continued to nod politely.

"Uh-huh. It looks great..." he said.

"Oh, you should see all the other ones! She's got a bunch of 'em! And she even said that I could borrow a few whenever I'm feeling fancy!" said Mabel.

"Did I tell you about the time I went to Clip-con? It was fantastic." said Candy. Grenda nodded. "Uh-huh. Most of them were shaped like bugs- So it looked like everyone was being eaten alive by insects!" she added.

Mabel gasped with delight. "That sounds _awesome_! Tell me more!" she said. As Grenda and Candy launched into their story about the worlds biggest conventionn for hair-clip enthusiasts (or 'clippers' as they were sometimes known) Mabel turned to Dippper.

"Can you believe it, Dipper? My best friends in the world- right here! And we're gonna get to go to school together! Isn't it _amazing_?" whispered Mabel.

Dipper gave her a look.

Back in Piedmont, it was starting to get difficult for even someone as universally likable as Mabel to find friends anymore. And, naturally, it had been all his fault. Apparently taking up most of her time dragging her around from crazy adventure to crazy adventure had a negative impact on her social life. And it definitely didn't help when the people of Piedmont began to turn on him. The splash-back on Mabel seemed to be unavoidable.

Seeing her smile like that... It had been too long. Far too long. A pang of guilt surged through his body, as he watched her talking happily with Grenda and Candy.

And suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He grimaced. 'No... There's no way that would work out. It'd cause a disaster...' he thought. But watching her practically glowing in happiness, he sighed. 'I... Don't really have a choice here, do I?' he thought. He sighed again, and looked at Mabel.

"Hey, uh... Mabel?"

"Yeah?"

"Listen... Uh... So I went into the room that I was assigned too... And my room-mate... Well... Doesn't seem like that bad a person... So... So, uh... I was thinking... If you don't want to share a room anymore... Well... You know... That'd be okay with me."

Mabels eyes widened. "Wha-... Are you sure Dipper? I mean... I'd be fine with it. We're siblings, right? We've gotta stick together!" she said.

Dipper smiled at her. "Thanks, Mabel... But it's fine. Actually... I think I might go talk to her now and-"

" _Her_? Oooooh-" cooed Mabel, as Grenda and Candy quickly joined in. "I see how it is. You got yourself shacked up with some pretty young lady, huh Dipper? I understand." she said, as her grin seemed to turn mischievous.

Dipper grimaced. "No. No, I don't think you do." he grimaced.

"No, no- I get it. Say no more. You're in a very complicated time in your life. A time where you want to start hanging out with girls that aren't your sweet ol' sister. I understand. Spread your wings and fly lil' Dipper!" said Mabel.

Dipper rubbed his forehead. 'Yep- Just like I thought. This is already starting to take a turn...' he thought.

"But let me ask you one thing, ol' lil' Dipper- Is she a red head?" asked Mabel. Candy and Grenda leaned in, looking curious.

'Well- not unless she really has been dying her hair all this time...' thought Dipper, as he slowly shook his head.

Mabel nodded. "Well, okay then. I understand. I guess I'll just stay with Candy and Grenda then. What do you say girls?" she asked. Immediately, Candy and Grenda pumped there fists into the air.

"SLUMBER PARTY!" they bellowed. Once again, people in the dining hall turned to look at them, and then at Dipper.

Dipper sighed. "Alright- I'm going to go talk to her..." he muttered. "I'll be right back."

"Go on, young, ol', lil' Dipper! I'm rooting for you!" said Mabel, as Dipper walked away. Dipper took a deep breath, and sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day.

'Hopefully I can get her to agree to this... Or at least find another room...' he thought, as he slowly made his way over to the VIP VIP section was roped off, and had a familiar looking man standing in front of it. He was black, tall, and covered in tattoos and piercings. The tattoo's on his forehead and his knuckles read 'Head' and 'Knuckles'. Just as every other tattoo seemed to only be there to label the part of his body that it was scrawled onto.

Dipper approached what appeared to be the entrance to the VIP section- going by the long red carpet and the rose petals scattered across the floor- only to be stopped by the large tattooed man. "Are you on the list?" he asked.

Dipper sighed. "Do I really _have_ to be? I just need to talk to someone for like twenty seconds." he said.

The tattooed man sighed. "Look kid, this is my job now. I'm a bouncer. Meanin' I bounce away people who aren't s'posed to be here. You think I wanted a job being a bouncer at some creepy boarding school? Course not. I've got a degree in advanced thermo-dynamics for crying' out loud. But you know what? Sometimes in this world you just gotta do what you gotta do." he said.

Dipper put his hand in his pocket. "What if I give you about... five bucks?" he asked, with the money in hand. And covered in lint.

"Go right in, sir. Have a nice day." said the tattooed man, as he took the money and lifted the rope. Dipper tipped his cap to him and muttered a 'thanks', before making his way towards a group of obnoxious rich kids.

He grimaced. This wasn't going to be fun.

Pacifica wasn't all that hard to find, even amongst the group of rich kids that all seemed to look the same. As he approached her, she was talking to a group of three other girls- presumably about diamonds or over-priced art or something.

"So, anyway- what they do is, they actually make art out of the diamonds. It's like the latest craze or whatever." said one of the girls. Dipper grimaced. 'I _knew_ it.' he thought.

He stood behind Pacifica, and loudly cleared his throat. Pacifica jumped, as everyone else at the table turned to look at him.

"Listen, Northwest... We've gotta talk." he said.

Pacifica glanced nervously at the people sitting at the table with her, and then back at him. "C-Can't it wait, _Pines_?" she growled. Dipper rolled his eyes. "No, I think the sooner I take care of this the better." he said.

Pacifica looked confused. But before Dipper could say anything, there was a loud noise from the front of the room. Suddenly, in a puff of smoke, a woman appeared in front of everyone. She seemed to be floating in the air, although Dippers trained eyes spotted a set of wires attatched to his clothes pretty quickly.

The woman's skin was paper white, with deep black circles around his eyes. His long wild hair was jet-black, save for a single streak of white. She was wearing a long white dress shirt, with a black corset over it. And long black pants, coupled with a set of sharp looking stiletto heels. She laughed, as she produced an enormous chefs hat from behind her back, and clumsily sat it on her head.

"Ladies and gentlemen! It is I! Your beloved cook- Miss Sweety Todd! But you young ones may refer to me simply as 'Miss Sweety'. It is a pleasure to see so many new faces in my banquet hall!" she bellowed. As she continued her seat, Pacifica grabbed Dipper by the sleeve.

"You've gotta sit down." she whispered. Dipper frowned, and was about to argue- only to find himself pulled down onto the seat. Pacifica was stronger than she looked.

"Now then! It is time for yet another feast! Prepare young ones!" Miss Sweety continued, as all of a sudden- sets of enormous black sheets fell down onto the tables. "Now then! Young ones of Lovecraft Boarding school, both new and old- I present... LUNCH!" she bellowed.

Suddenly, the sheets were pulled away. And underneath, was an enormous platter. Beyond anything Dipper had ever seen. They had everything. From oysters, to pizza. He looked down, to find a plate and a set of utensils waiting right there in front of him. Dipper licked his lips.

"Now- Begin! And I hope you all enjoy the meat pies!" said Miss Sweety. And with another sudden puff of smoke- she was gone.

Everybody started eating immediately. Even Dipper, forgetting the reason that he had come over there in the first place, immediately began putting things on his plate, and shoving them into his mouth. Pacifca cleared her throat, and gave him a nudge, as everyone else at the table stared blankly at him.

"Would you at _least_ use the utensils?" she whispered to him. Naturally, Dipper ignored her.

After a few minutes, the others at the table had began to try and do their best to ignore him, but not before sending Pacifica a wave of disapproving looks. Pacifica shrank in her seat, as she did her very best to be as careful with her food as possible.

About twenty minutes passed, and some of the people were beginning to leave the table, as Dipper put his hand on his stomach and let out a satisfied sigh. "Aw, man- if that was just lunch, I can't wait 'till dinner..." he muttered.

Pacifica frowned at him. "I believe you said you wanted to say something to me?" she growled. Dipper blinked. "O-oh... Right. Sorry... I was just... Hungry. Anyway... It's about our room." he said.

Pacifica blinked. "Our room? It's our room now? I thought you were going to go get one with your _sister_..." she whispered, keeping a careful eye on anybody who might be close enough to overhear their conversation.

"Yeah... Well... That's probably not going to happen. And since I doubt I'm going to be able to find another room real quick- especially if I was assigned to be in that one... Well, I was wondering..." he sighed, as he struggled desperately to get the words out of his mouth. "If... I could owe you a favor."

"... You mean _another_ favor... right?" asked Pacifica. Dipper sighed. "Yeah, fine. _Another_ favour." he muttered.

"...I'd need to establish some ground rules. Like, it's just until you find another room... And... No funny business." said Pacifica.

Dipper raised an eyebrow. " _Funny business_? What do you think I'm going to do?" he muttered.

There was a long awkward silence, until Pacifica finally broke eye contact. Dipper rolled his eyes. "Look- I wouldn't do anything like that to you, okay? Besides, I've got other stuff to worry about. Trust me- I'll just sit around on my side, and... Do a little writing." he said. Dipper resisted the urge to touch the pocket that his journal was sitting in to make sure it was safe. That was a classic way to get yourself caught by an enemy.

Pacifica frowned. "Fine... I... I believe you..." she muttered. "But... One last thing. And it's the most important. Nobody can find out about this. I know it might seem nice that I'm helping out a peasant like yourself... But some people might get the wrong idea."

"Alright, fine. Whatever you say." said Dipper.

Pacifica reached out her hand. "I'm serious, _Pines_. Now shake on it." she ordered. Dipper rolled his eyes, and lazily shook her hand.

"Okay- deal done. Now I've got to go to the library and do some research on... Stuff. I'll see you later." said Dipper.

Pacifica shook her head. "Oh, yeah? Well then I guess I'll come too. And you can help me do some studying." she said.

Before Dipper could open his mouth to object, Pacifica rose her hand. "Hold on now- If I recall correctly... You do owe me _two_ favors, correct? One for saving you from one of your horrible monsters, and one for me generously opening _my_ room to you?" she asked.

Dipper groaned. Something told him that he was going to regret this.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Wendy stood in behind the two of them. Unseen. Unheard. She watched with a smile, as Dipper was lead to the library by Pacifica, looking gloomy.

"I hope you've found the right one to trust, Dipper..." she muttered. "Because there are many more monsters here, lying beneath the surface. Just waiting for you to come find them."

Wendy looked at her watch. And then smacked herself in the forehead. "Urgh- it's busted. Why do I keep forgetting to get a new one?" she muttered.

She sighed. Not that she really needed to keep track of time anymore... Or anything else for that matter.

She ran her hand through her long red hair, as she slowly faded away. "I'll be back, Dipper. And I'll keep an eye on you through it all. Through everything that's coming... I will watch over you..."

And she was gone.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

 _To be continued..._

* * *

(AN: An enormous thank you to the people that were kind enough to review the prologue. I hope this first chapter didn't disappoint. I know it's long- and unfortunately, that is probably going to be a running thing with this story. Please read and review.)

(PS: By the way... There were a few very unsubtle references to different horror icons in the school faculty, and you can expect to find even more. Can you spot them all? Also- Anybody who recognizes Valvatorez... Good for you. I love Disgaea so much...)

DanRider007 - Please let me know what those mistakes were, and I shall endeavor to improve. I do split up paragraphs unnecessarily sometimes just to keep the story from looking too bunched up together, and I do have a lot of bad grammar habits. I hope you liked this chapter anyway.

SonJubbi - Thank you very much. I hope that this wasn't too long... Like I said, a lot of the chapters are probably going to be kinda lengthy... Which might also mean for longer breaks between chapter releases. Sorry about that.

NickStricker - Thank you. I really appreciate the correspondence and what not. And I would be more than happy to take you up on your offer to help when the writers block sends me spiraling into untold insanity.

King of France - Why, yes. It was. I didn't actually *name* it though, so we don't need to get the lawyers involved, right?

(Finally, if anybody knows of any horror icons they might like to see crammed into this story, I would be happy to hear about it. I'll probably throw a twist on 'em, but I'd love to fill the teaching faculty with horror icons and stuff. So feel free to either message me, or put it in a review. Until next time!)


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Prelude to the Green House

 _The room was white. The lights, the carpet and the furniture outlined by gold._

 _A gentle wave of music filled the room, as all of the guests began to sway gracefully in each others arms._

 _They were all dressed in dark, expensive looking clothes. And they were all wearing masks._

 _And so was she._

 _She made her way through the crowd, as the music began to swell. They were all with someone. Holding someone. As she wandered through the dancing couples, she began to realize something._

 _She was the only one that was alone._

 _The couples continued to dance, even as their movements began to blur. She stood in the middle of them._

 _Watching._

 _And then- he was there. Standing in front of her. In a mask, offering to take her hand._

 _She smiled behind her mask, as she gently placed her hand in his. A flood of warmth filled her chest, as the two of them began to dance._

 _He whispered her name. And her heart skipped a beat._

 _She said something to him. And as the words escaped her mouth, everything seemed to go quiet, and still._

 _She looked around. All of the couples had disappeared. Leaving only their masks behind to twirl amongst each other, as if they were still being worn._

 _Then, she looked at him._

 _He was still. And grey._

 _She felt her hands begin to tremble, as cracks began to spread across the surface of his body. And his masks._

 _He was crumbling away. And as she reached her hand out to stop it._

 _But her hands..._

 _She stared at them. As her skin began to writhe about. As if there were thousands of insects squirming beneath her skin._

 _He was turning into rubble. And as she tired once more to reach to him. To touch him... Her skin seemed to fall away. There were millipedes, beatles, flies and more. All of them squirming amongst each other, taking the form of her hands._

 _She tried to scream, only to feel her mask fall away. Her whole body began to collapse into a pile of squirming insects, as his crumbled to dust._

 _She wanted to scream. To cry. For him. For herself. But she couldn't._

 _All was silent. As the pile of rubble and the insects dissolved into the floor._

Pacifica gasped, as her eyes shot wide open. She was drenched in sweat, and as she gasped for air, everything around her seemed like a blur.

There were tears streaming down her face. And her chest was seized with pain. A few minutes went by, as she pulled her sheet up to her face to wipe away the tears.

"A nightmare... Just a nightmare..." she muttered to herself, as she continued to take long, deep breaths. Finally the pain in her chest began to fade away.

She sighed with relief. She was back in her room. Lying in her bed. She nodded to herself. Everything was okay.

And then- she heard a noise. Something that sounded suspiciously like a _snore_.

She sat up straight, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that there was another bed, on the other side of the room. And, there was someone lying in it. Very slowly, memories of the day before began to trickle back into her mind.

Somehow, Dipper had managed to lose her in the library. It was a massive place, after all. And she didn't see him again until dinner. He promised to do her homework for her, and when they came back to the room they were now sharing, Dipper had practically dove onto his bed, and started scribbling furiously in a book.

He made good on his promise to do her homework- but he mostly just ignored her. It was as if that book of his was the most important thing in the world to him.

Eventually, she had decided to quietly read her own book- and fell asleep doing so.

Then came the nightmare.

She shook her head. She didn't want to think about it.

Pacifica reached under her pillow, and pulled out her phone. She flipped it open, and checked the time.

'3:45 am'

She sighed. Class wouldn't start for another five hours or so. She rubbed her eyes as she made her way out of bed. She wasn't about to try and go to sleep again. So there was only one other option.

She walked over to her wardrobe, and pulled out a fresh uniform.

One of the many perks that came from living in room triple six, was that unlike all of the other dorm rooms- it had it's own bathroom. With both a shower, _and_ a bath.

'I don't think I ended up telling him about that... So he probably went without a shower last night...' she thought. She glanced at Dipper and felt a grin suddenly appear on her face.

He was sprawled out on his back, lying over the covers and snoring obnoxiously. He was still wearing his trenchcoat over his uniform. And he was also still wearing his shoes, his cap and his glasses. It looked like he had fallen asleep without really meaning too. Further evidence of that came when she noticed that he had a book resting open on his chest, and a pen tucked behind his ear.

Pacifica raised an eyebrow. He had been scribbling in that book all night. And the more she stared at it sitting innocently on his chest, the more her curiosity began to build.

Finally, she draped her new uniform over her soldier and approached Dipper's sleeping form. Moving as carefully and quietly as she could, she picked up the book and held it towards the lamp next to his bed.

The book was bound in leather, and the front of it was decorated with a silver Big Dipper. She blinked. She had been expecting to see a book with a gold six-fingered hand on the cover- not this. With her curiosity reaching it's peak, she opened the book to its first page.

'Property of M. Pines. If found, please call the following number and ask for 'Dipper' Pines.'

Pacifica brushed past the phone number, and went back to the name.

'M. Pines... So, wait... This belongs to Mabel? No... This has got to be one of his creepy journals of monsters and whatever... Right?' thought Pacifica. 'So then it has to be _his_. I mean- I doubt he'd spend all night scribbling into this thing if it belonged to Mabel... So then... Why does it say property of 'M' Pines?'

It took a few good minutes, but suddenly something dawned on her. "Dipper isn't his first name..." she muttered to herself. Although a part of her wanted to kick herself for not realizing sooner, she did have a lot of rich friends with names far more ridiculous than 'Dipper'. In fact, there had been a time where she had been a little self conscious of her own first name.

Of course, that kind of thing was drilled out of her at a young age. Northwests weren't supposed to be self conscious about _anything_. Especially not their crazy rich peoples names.

She looked up from the book, to glance at Dippers face. 'So...' she thought. 'Your _real_ name starts with an 'M'... I wonder if that might be worth digging into...'

As she skimmed through the pages, she began to see more of what she had been expecting to see. Collections of notes, drawings and a few actual photographs of various kinds of creatures and supernatural phenomenon.

She flipped through the pages for a while, stopping only when something caught her eye. There was a page on giant snakes, man-eating oysters, reverse-griffons and a few pages on the evils of tooth-fairies. Somewhere around the halfway point, she stopped when she noticed a familiar face.

It was a sketch. And a messy one at that. It had big eyes, surrounded by about a dozen smaller ones. And a mouth that opened vertically, between it's eyes. Revealing a swirling mass of teeth and tentacles.

She shuddered. It was the creature they had ran into yesterday. It wasn't the greatest sketch in the world- but there was no mistaking it. She squinted to read some of the scribbles next to the drawing.

'Creature of unknown origin. Possibly a resident of the Hellscape? Weakness: Light. Is it fatal, or a mere deterrent? Will find out at a later date.'

Pacifica sighed, and shook her head. 'Didn't he learn anything from almost being _eaten_ the first time?' she thought. She looked at him again. His face seemed to twitch every now and again, before going back to loudly snoring. She rolled her eyes. 'Of course you didn't. If you just left something like that alone- you wouldn't be the big 'Expert of the Paranormal' anymore... Would you?'

There was a short period of silence- save for Dippers loud snoring- before she gently placed the book back on his chest, and walking over to the bathroom door. As she made her way inside, she did her best to be as quiet as possible. Judging by the dark circles around his eyes, she guessed that Dipper could probably use all of the sleep he could get.

She hung her fresh uniform on the towel rack, and carefully removed her pajamas. As she did, she felt herself becoming more and more aware of the fact that the bathroom door didn't have a lock. She sighed.

Obviously that hadn't been a problem before. But now... It was different. She shook her head as she put her expensive silk pajamas in the clothes basket. "I should have thought of that _before_ I let him stay in my room..." she muttered.

'Maybe it was a bad idea... After all- if my _parents_ ever found out...' she shuddered at the thought as she stepped into the shower, and slid the glass door closed behind her.

It seemed to take a while for her to fiddle with the knobs and achieve the perfect temperature. But when she did, the feeling of the hot water washing down her face was enough to make everything else buzzing around in her mind fade away. At least for a little while.

She took a deep breath, and just stood there.

The morning routine of Pacifica Northwest was always extensive- to say the least. The shower in itself involved multiple high end soaps, shampoo, conditioner and a wide variety of brushes. For her hair and for her skin. Then came the face creams, more hair maintenance, eye brow maintenance, eyelash curling, finger nail work, toenail work, sometimes there was waxing or shaving, and then came the make-up. And there were at least a hundred to choose from.

She had been going through this routine in some form or another for as long as she could remember. But it was only when she had been enrolled in Lovecraft Boarding School that she had been forced to learn to do it all by herself. She had always had people to do it all for her. Or- more accurately- _to_ her.

After a long period of having to do it by herself, she had gradually begun to get good at it. And for some reason, looking in the mirror after spending hours working on her hair, make-up and everything else seemed to give her a short burst of confidence. Because it felt like she had really accomplished something- all by herself. Even though a part of her thought that she was probably just being vain and stupid.

But no matter what, she always finished her morning routine. Even if she was sick. And even though the only people who ever noticed were a small number of her friends. Because as she had been told time and time again, for as long as she could remember- a Northwest always had to look their best.

As she stepped out of the shower and got to work on phase two of her daily routine, her thoughts drifted to Dipper. And she found herself putting a little extra effort into her beauty regimen.

For no particular reason.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

There was a steady stream of half-asleep students making their way into the dining hall. Among them, Candy, Grenda and Mabel were continuing their long session of girl-talk from the night before.

"So anyway- It turned out that he was actually kind of a nice guy. So we dated for a little while... Of course, in the end he ended up trying to turn the Earth into a new Sun- just like Dipper said. And that was kind of a deal breaker... I mean, he _lied_ \- right? Am I crazy here?"

Candy thought for a moment. "And... He was made out of fire?" she asked.

Mabel nodded.

"Any guy who lies to a girl he _says_ he likes is a total loser!" bellowed Grenda. Candy nodded, as the three of them took their seats at one of the tables.

" _Thank you_ , girls. I knew you'd get it." said Mabel.

Candy sighed. "But you know, Mabel... You are very lucky to have had such an experience... Nothing interesting ever happens around here..." she muttered.

Suddenly, there was a loud 'bang'. Followed by another, and another. Mabel looked up at the ceiling, just in time to see fireworks exploding into every color she could imagine. As the flashes of light seemed to get bigger, and the explosions got even louder, Grenda and Candy continued to talk amongst themselves. As did a good number of the students.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! BOYS AND GIRLS! STUDENTS OF LOVECRAFT!" a voice boomed through the air. "BREAKFAST... IS SERVED!"

And after another enormous flash from above, every table was suddenly covered in enormous spreads of bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes and every other kind of breakfast food that could possibly spring to the imagination. Complete with big pitchers of orange juice.

There was another burst of smoke close to one of the chandeliers. As it cleared, it revealed the form of Miss Sweety- the woman who had brought them dinner the night before. She was holding a megaphone, as she stood on the chandelier.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, children!" she yelled. Her voice, with the help of the megaphone, seemed to be even louder than the fireworks. "So remember- Eat plenty! And grow fat and juicy! It's the _only_ way to be!"

And with that- she disappeared.

Mabel turned her attention back to her friends.

"Grenda? Could you please pass the syrup? I think I will have pancakes this morning." said Candy. Grenda nodded with a mouth-full of bacon, and reached across the table to pick up the bottle of maple syrup. After handing Candy the bottle, and swallowing her bacon, Grenda turned to Mabel.

"Yeah, ever since you guys left, nothing much really happened in Gravity Falls anymore. And this place gets _so_ boring. Which is why it's so awesome that your here, Mabel!" Grenda exclaimed. "Maybe we can start having new adventures and stuff!"

"Well, if I know my brother- he's probably already found some kinda hideous monster or something. Give him time, girls. The adventures come to _him_." said Mabel.

As the girls talked amongst themselves, over in the VIP section, Pacifica had been staring blankly at her scrambled eggs for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the girl sitting next to her turned to face her.

"-What about you Pacifica?" she asked.

No response.

The girl frowned. "Pacifica!? You spacin' out or somethin'!?" she asked.

Still no response. The girl rubbed her chin in thought. Then, she slowly brought her hand to Pacifica's ear, and clicked her fingers. Pacifica jumped, and let out a high pitched yelp. Much to the girls amusement.

"What's up with you, Northwest? You're all... Out of it." said the girl.

Pacifica blinked a few times, and gave her a look. The girls name was Hershey Befufftlefumpter. Her great grandfather had been the longest running mayor of Gravity Falls in all of history, her grandfather had been the Governor of Oregon and her parents were both high ranking politicians in their own right. And because of that, her family had many ties to the Northwests.

Strangely enough though, they had only met each other a short time ago. But considering the fact that they both came from families that were practically royalty, it wasn't that hard for them to find common ground. In fact, they were practically _friends_. Or at least, as close to friends as anybody could be to a complete ego-maniac like Hershey Befufftlefumpter.

She could say things that would make Gideon Gleeful roll his eyes. And that was saying something.

She wore her hair in pig-tails, in what seemed like an effort to come off as slightly more innocent than she really was. She had big brown eyes and dozens of freckles. Of course, they were usually hidden underneath what looked like several pounds of make-up. She was fairly petite for somebody with such a loud voice and temperament. In fact, she was short enough that she tended to be mistaken for someone much younger.

"I'm sorry..." muttered Pacifica. "I was just... thinking about something."

"Whatever. Listen- It's Valentines Day in a couple o' days. And there's this rumor that there's gunna be some kinda big surprise dance. So I was thinkin' about settin' up a little competition- You know the deal. Whoever get's the most roses and chocolates wins. It'll be the easiest money I've ever made." said Hershey.

"But you've never won one of those." said a girl from across the table.

"Shut it, Brittany!" yelled Hershey with a closed fist.

While Brittany looked down at her toast and muttered something to herself, Pacifica frowned. "Wait... It's Valentines Day soon?" she asked.

Hershey nodded. "Yep. It sure is. And as usual, I'll going around selling overpriced chocolate and flowers to chumps. My shipments coming in tomorrow morning. It's gunna be a good day for my piggy-bank." she said, as she rubbed her hands together like a cartoonish super-villain.

Pacifica bit her lip. " _Valentines Day_..." she muttered. This was not good news. Valentines Day meant nothing but trouble for Pacifica. Not only would she have to deal with mountains of love-letters, heart shaped cards, roses, chocolates and a seemingly endless line of 'suitors'. But it also meant having to write polite sounding letters back to anyone her parents had deigned 'too important to ignore'.

She sighed. Valentines Day was probably going to mean a day of non-stop harassment while she wrote 'thank-you' letter after 'thank-you' letter to every rich kid that sent her a card. And that wasn't even the worst of it. No, the worst of it was-

"So there're rumors that a boy recently moved into yer room. Any comment on that? Also- Who're you takin' to the big lover-birds dance on Valentines Day?" asked a voice, with what sounded like a stereotypical thirties news-man tone.

Pacifica twitched.

On the table in front of her, there was an enormous pile of pancakes stacked up together on a single plate. Suddenly, they began to move. And Pacifica felt her stomach turn.

"Sources say they spotted you goin' to the library with one of the new kids- any comment on that? Is the famous Pacifica Northwest finally settlin' down?" the voice continued, as the pile of pancakes slowly began to slide away- revealing the form of a boy crouching down on the enormous dinner plate. Covered in syrup.

He was fairly small, and very thin. His wild, stringy black hair seemed to stick out every which way- even when it was covered in maple syrup. He was wearing an old timey cap, with a label sticking out of the side that read 'news'. And he was holding a tape recorder as close to Pacifica's face as he could reach.

The boy's face had scars running down both sides of his mouth, and thick black circles around each of his eyes. That, along with the paper white clown makeup he wore all over his face, along with a set of red spirals on each cheek, made him look like a creepy fusion of a clown, and a doll. In fact, Pacifica didn't even know for sure if it _was_ make-up. She just kind of _hoped_.

He was practically mashing the tape recorder against her face at this point. "Is it true that you and the new kid have met before? How ' _familiar_ ' are you with each other? Will you be takin' _his_ last name, or will he be takin' yours? The school wants to know!" he announced, as Pacifica frowned.

Without saying anything, Pacifica slowly raised her hand in the air, and clicked her fingers. "Bouncer? A pest has managed to sneak into the VIP area again." she said.

In an instant, the enormous man usually standing at the entrance to the VIP section suddenly appeared behind Pacifica. And, without saying a word- he picked up the pancake plate, with the boy still crouching on it.

"You can't escape the probing _probes_ of Jigg Saw, Ace Reporter! You'll see, Northwest! You'll be in the school paper whether you want to be or _not_!" he announced, just before the bouncer swung the plate around, and threw it across the room. And Jigg along with it.

There was a loud 'crash!' as he landed somewhere outside of the VIP zone.

"Uh... Wa-... Was that guy just hiding in our _pancakes_?" asked a girl from across the table.

Hershey rolled her eyes. "You must be new here."

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper checked his digital display blinked back at him, and refused to show an earlier time. No matter how many times he checked.

"Would it have killed her to wake me up?" he muttered as he made his way down one of the dozens of spiraling hallways that seemed to make up the bulk of the school. He checked his watch again. And sighed.

He had never had the best sleeping patterns. But after his first summer in Gravity Falls, it had gotten even worse. It wasn't unusual for him to stay awake for three days straight when he was working on a 'case'. Even on school nights. And whenever he did finally fall asleep, no alarm in the world seemed capable of waking him up.

Luckily, his twin sister could come up with all kinds of creative ways to wake him up before school. Although 'luckily' wasn't the word that Dipper would use.

Without his 'Mabel-Alarm', Dipper had woken up late for his first class in a new school. Not the best way to make a first impression. Of course, a part of him thought that trying to fit in with his new classmates was probably a disaster waiting to happen. But he simply couldn't shake the slim shred of hope he still had, that he might just find a _way_.

A way to fit in. Or at least, a way to avoid being labelled the class freak. But with every extra minute that passed by, Dipper could feel that slim shred of hope beginning to fade away.

He sighed. "Why didn't Pacifica wake me up before breakfast? What- she couldn't be _bothered_?" he grumbled. His stomach let out a low growl. "I _agree_..." muttered Dipper.

He sighed again, and tried to shake off his agitation. The better part of him knew that it was his own responsibility to get himself up in the morning. Not his roommates. But it still felt good to have someone else to aim some of his frustrations at.

Dipper walked down the empty hallways for what felt like an eternity, only stopping to glance at his watch and sigh. 'Why would a school turn their hallways into some kind of labyrinth? And also- how is no one else as lost as I am?' he thought.

Just as that thought entered his mind, he walked into somebody- sending them crashing to the ground.

Dipper blinked. Usually whenever he walked into someone, he was the one who was sent crashing to the ground. But before he could wonder if some of the work out video's he had tried were finally starting to pay off, he noticed that the person he had knocked over was about half his size. And even more skinny.

A wave of guilt came crashing over his, as he knelt down to offer his hand. "Sorry about that- I guess I wasn't paying enough attention to-"

Dipper stopped mid-sentence when the person turned his head to look at him.

He looked like a fusion between a creepy clown and a puppet. With big glassy green eyes that seemed to be doing their best to pop out of his head as they twitched about in every direction.

His face remained completely free of any semblance of emotion, as he spoke in a loud and enthusiastic voice. "Well, would ya get a load of my luck! Hey, how are ya? Name's Jigg Saw- Ace Reporter!" he announced, as he got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Ya know I'd love to ask you a few probing and deeply personal questions, if you've got the time. Oh- Ya do? Well that's great! Now listen..."

As a sudden barrage of questions erupted out of Jigg, Dipper blinked.

Without really thinking, Dipper reached his hand out in front of Jiggs face, and tapped his forehead. There was a dull, hollow sound. Like the kind of sound one might get from knocking on a door.

Jigg suddenly went quiet.

"You're... Made of _wood_ , aren't you?" asked Dipper.

Jigg coughed nervously, as his big glassy eyes began to tremble even harder. "Wha-what? No... I-... I'm... I'm normal..." he sputtered.

Dipper frowned. "Uh-huh. You know you don't have a nose, right? Or ears?" he said.

Jigg blinked one eye, and then the other. "Th-that... It's a skin condition! No further questions!" he bellowed. With that, he turned around and ran. Dipper watched him speed down the hallway, turn a corner, and disappear.

'Note to self: Investigate talking puppet.' thought Dipper.

After a few more minutes of walking around aimlessly, Dipper eventually ran into someone else. Although this time, not literally. Mister Valvatorez had been standing in the middle of the hallway, seemingly lost in thought, when Dipper approached him.

"Uh... Mister... Val... Something...?" said Dipper.

Valvatorez blinked, and then turned his full attention to Dipper. "Young lad! What are you doing outside of the classroom during this important time of learning? Do not tell me that you have already lost yourself to _truancy_! Oh, young Dipper- You have such promise. To allow such a thing to go to waste is the very _height_ of foolishness!" he exclaimed.

Dipper shook his head. "No, I just... Overslept a little, and now I don't know where my classroom is..." he muttered.

"Oh. Well, I can help with that. Follow me!" bellowed Valvatorez.

While he followed Mister Valvatorez down the halls, he was forced to listen to an extensive lecture about punctuality and healthy 'human' sleep patterns, Dipper remained silent. As he walked and pretended to listen to Valvatorez's loud speech, Dipper allowed his mind to wander.

He had actually had a pretty nice sleep while it lasted. No nightmares, either. Just blank darkness. Which was the best he could ask for, considering the somewhat traumatizing experiences he had accumulated over the years.

In fact, his nights sleep felt almost a little _too_ peaceful. He had been expecting another nightmare. Or maybe another visit from whatever it was that had been appearing to him in Wendy's form. But instead- nothing.

He sighed. 'Great... Now I'm worrying about _not_ having some kinda horrific nightmare...' he thought.

Suddenly, Valvatorez came to a stop. In front of a dark brown door with the word 'Classroom Six' scrawled across it in gold."We have arrived! The first class for group A-3." announced Valvatorez. "This shall be your first classroom every day during your enrollment in this school, young Dipper. So be sure to have it memorized."

"Huh? O-Oh, thank you Mister... Mister V." said Dipper. Valvatorez smiled, and opened the door for him.

And Dipper stepped into his first class in Lovecraft Boarding School.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Pacifica stared blankly at her notebook. Unlike all of the other rich kids sitting in their special corner of the classroom, Pacifica always did her best to pay full attention to the teacher. All the other rich kids, meanwhile, would be staring at their phones or talking loudly amongst each other while their servants paid attention for them.

Maybe it was the many years she had spent attending etiquette classes with her mother from an early age- or maybe it was just a part of her somewhat competitive nature. Either way, Pacifica would always pay attention in class, and even study outside of the classroom- which seemed unthinkable to everyone else in her little clique.

There was just something about getting that perfect grade, all by herself. It was the same feeling she got from mini-golf contests. Or competitive chess. Or tennis. Or any of the other sports that she had collected trophies for over the years.

It made her feel as if she had truly achieved something. And, it was the only time that she felt like her parents were truly _proud_ of her. And it didn't stop at sports. Anything and everything could become a contest in her mind. Even school work. And naturally, that attitude was more than well-reinforced by her parents.

But for some reason, the usual drive she had for school work- the drive to be the best in the entire class, not matter what- seemed to have gone missing. And she knew why, too.

She frowned, as she glanced at the doorway again.

She hadn't seen Dipper come in for breakfast. And now, he was running late for class. She bit her lip. 'Maybe I should've tried to wake him up...' she thought. 'But I mean-... Come on. I'm not his alarm clock. Besides... He really looked like he could've used the extra sleep...'

She sighed. She could still remember the fatigue on his face. He looked like he hadn't had a good nights sleep in quite a while.

'... Maybe I should go check on him on the way to the next class... And this time, I won't leave until he's up and ready!' for some reason, she couldn't help but smile at that. He wouldn't know what hit him.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Mister Valvatorez strode into the room. Followed by Dipper.

Pacifica felt a surge of disappointment somewhere in the pit of her stomach. But she ignored it, and picked up her pen. 'It's about time, Pines...' she thought to herself, as she began busily scribbling down everything that was on the blackboard.

"Mrs Voorhees!? I have found a lost student!" announced Valvatorez.

Mrs Voorhees was sitting with her feet up on her desk, sharpening what appeared to be a long machete while the class copied what she had written on the blackboard. She shot Vlavatorez a look. "Good for you." she growled. "Go find a spare seat and do the math problems that're on the blackboard. _Kid_."

Pacifica glanced up from her notes, and watched walk over and take seat with a group of girls. It took her a moment to recognize Mabel, because her hair had been streaked with all the colors of the rainbow. But she still had that same happy look on her face that used to annoy her to no end. Plus, she was wearing an over-sized pink hairclip, with the face of a cute little pig on it- bedazzled with pink and white faux-jewels. And Pacifica had only met one person in her entire life that would wear something like _that_. And that person was Mabel Pines.

However, Pacifica couldn't recognize the other two girls. But judging buy their choice in hairstyles and accessories, she guessed that they were friends with Mabel.

She watched as Mabel happily greeted her brother, along with with the other girls. And Pacifica felt a pang of something that she hadn't felt in a very long time.

Jealousy.

She frowned, and did her best to shake it off. She took a deep breath, and set to work. Writing down every problem and then solving them at a record pace. Because all of a sudden, she felt like she really needed to finish the work before anybody else. And win.

Meanwhile, Dipper found a notebook and a pencil sitting at his desk, waiting for him.

"I wrote your name on it for you." said Mabel, with a proud smile. Dipper picked up the notebook, and grimaced. It was covered in flowers, love-hearts, and the word 'Dipper' written in the girliest, curliest hand writing he had ever seen. Along with 'Grenda Rules!' and 'Candy is the best!' followed by a small note that said 'the girl, not the food. But the food is the best also!'.

"And we helped!" exclaimed Grenda.

Dipper sighed. "Yeah... I can see that." he muttered. "Sorry I missed you at breakfast, Mabel... I slept in again."

Mabel smiled. "It's alright Dipper! Check it out! I saved you a breakfast burrito!" she said, as she pulled the burrito out of her skirt pocket, covered in aluminum foil.

"They, are very good." said Candy, as Dippper took the burrito out of Mabels hands, and stared at it lovingly. "Thanks, Mabel... I'm _super_ hungry." he said, as he began to unwrap it.

Suddenly there was a loud 'bang!'. Dipper looked down at his desk, and noticed a pen sticking out of it. Back at her desk, Mrs Voorhees held up a handful of sharp looking pens. She threw another one- this one wizzing past Dippers face and embedding itself into the wall behind him.

"No eating in class." growled Mrs Voorhees.

Dipper felt his stomach howl in protest, as he gave a defeated sigh. "Fine..." he muttered, as he put the burrito into one of his trench coat pockets. "I'll save it for later."

Mrs Voorhees seemed to settle for that, and went back to sharpening her enormous machete.

Dipper sped through the math problems in no time. So, with little else to do, he turned to face his sister. "Hey, Mabel? I couldn't help but notice... You've got rainbow hair now?" he asked.

Mabel was biting her lip and struggling with one of the math problems. So she didn't turn her head when she responded.

"Uh-huh. Candy helped me with it last night. Isn't it awesome? Plus- she gave me this cute hair-clip, because she said it reminded her of Waddles!" said Mabel.

Dipper smiled. "Oh... Well, that was nice of her."

"Uh-huh! And how're things going with your mystery room mate? You know you never told me who she is!"

"Huh? Oh... Well, fine I guess. She didn't bug me as much as I thought she might... For the most part she just kinda... Kept to herself." he muttered. Dipper frowned. 'Maybe I should've made more of an effort to... _talk_. She _did_ let me stay in her room...' he thought.

"Oh, that is so boring! Tell me you've got something planned for Valentines Day!" exclaimed Mabel. "It's only _tomorrow_ , you know! And I heard there's going too be a big fancy dance and everything!"

Dipper grimaced. "Oh, no... Not Valentines Day..." he muttered. "Didn't we _just_ have one like a year ago?"

Before Mabel could respond, another pen went flying past Dippers head.

Mrs Voorhees let out a low growl from her desk. "No _talking_ , either." she growled.

Dipper sighed, as Mabel went back to her math problems. After a few minutes of silence, Dipper put his head down on his desk, and decided to spend the rest of class being tortured by the tantalizing smell of the breakfast burrito sitting in his trench coat pocket.

"The bell'll be ringin' soon. And ya'll have PE up next. So make sure you head out back to meet Coach Krueger." said Mrs Voorhees.

Dipper felt his stomach drop.

"Oh _no_..." he muttered. "Not PE... _Anything_ but that..."

Another pen embedded itself into his desk.

"No whining!"

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

The entire class stood in a line, side by side, in the middle of a wide open field. The grass was green and well maintained, and the clouds above seemed to have parted just enough give the entire feild a rich, warm glow.

Dipper grimaced. Fresh air and sunlight weren't exactly his favorite things in the world. Naturally, the complete opposite was true for Mabel.

"Wow! Look at that! The sun, the grass, my best friends- this is perfect!" Mabel exclaimed.

Dipper sighed. "How are you so chipper all the time, Mabel?" he muttered.

Mabel grinned. "Practice, Dipper! Lot's and lot's of practice!"

Suddenly, the sound of a high pitched whistle burst through the air, causing everyone to clutch at their ears in pain. The whistle went on, and on- until people were practically writhing in the grass. Then, finally, it stopped. As a tall skinny man approached the group.

He had a face that looked like it had been dipped into a grease fire. And his face seemed to have been twisted into a permanent, creepy grin. He was wearing a fedora and a long sleaved sweater with black and red stripes, and a single brown leather glove on his left hand.

He had a golden whistle hanging off of his neck on a silver chain, and he was fiddling with it- as if he was seriously considering blowing it one more time just to watch everyone's faces fill with anguish.

He still didn't look as scary as their coach back in Piedmont- but he was a close second.

"Good _afternoon,_ kiddies. I'm Coach _Krueger_. I'm here to you worthless little kiddies a nice little workout. Since, apparently, kiddies ain't gettin' enough exercise anymore, I was hired to help whip some a' you kiddies into _shape_. I got a lotta experience givin' kiddies _runnin_ ' practice, ya see." Coach Krueger began to cackle to himself, as he fiddled with the whistle.

"Any questions? _Great_ \- Now we'll be doin' somethin' a little _special_ today. Although I usually like to set up some ropes and stuff and watch you little kiddies _struggle_ to climb 'em- I though fer today we'd have ourselves a little competition." he said. "We're gunna have ourselves a little game of _dodgeball_."

He grinned at the groans that quickly erupted from the class. "I know, I know- you can't _wait_. Well guess what? We're gunna make things a little more _interestin_ '. Whoever loses get's the _honor_ of cleanin' the school green house during yer lunch hour. And whoever loses, get's the honor of _not_ cleanin' the school green house during yer lunch hour. Don't that sound... _fun_?"

"Uh... no?" said Dipper.

In an instant, Coach Krueger was suddenly standing directly in front of him- baring his ugly yellow teeth. "Look's like we've got a _smart_ one here..." he snarled.

Dipper frowned. "I don't know that what I said was all that _smart_ , Coach. I just don't see how 'not' cleaning the green house is such a great incentive to win. Also- Why would you have students clean up the green house? Isn't this supposed to be one of those fancy, snobby schools that hires _professionals_ to do things like that?"

Coach Krueger clenched his leather-clad hand, and smiled. "I _like_ kiddies like you. You've got _spirit_. I guess this is your way of _volunteering_ to be the _captain_ of the first team?" he asked.

Dipper grimaced. "I'm guessing I don't have a choice?"

Coach Krueger continued to smile. "Oh, _smart_ too I see." he said. "Now, who wants to be on team smart-boy?"

Immediately, Mabel wrapped her arms around Candy and Grenda, and too a deep breath. "WE DO! WE DO!" she bellowed.

Coach Krueger nodded, still wearing his big toothy grin. "Uh-huh. You'll need one more though." he said. The rest of the class was silent under his gaze, as they all began to shuffle backwards and avoid eye contact.

And then, somebody rose their hand.

Pacifica cleared her throat, and did her very best to ignore the eyes of everyone else. "I-... I'll do it." she said.

Coach Krueger frowned. Or at least- he looked like he was frowning. It was hard to tell considering he didn't have any eyebrows. "I _see_." he spat. "Well, then... It'll be you _five_ , versus the _rest_ of the class. Sound _fair_?"

Before anybody could say anything, he blew his whistle. Causing everybody to writhe in pain once more.

"Well, _good_. Look's like we've got ourselves a _game_."

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

( **AN** : This chapter was originally *much* bigger. But as I worked on it, I began to feel like it was maybe a little *too* big. (About fifteen thousand words) So I decided to split it almost in half. In the end, I think this decision might be for the best- because I don't want to overwhelm people with length, and it'll give me a little extra time to work on that second half. Which is good.)

NickStricker \- I know it'll be hard for you to spot the *incredibly* subtle references in this chapter. Not really.

SonJubbi \- I think that the Dipcifica stuff is going to be a slow burn, I'm afraid. But- well, I'll guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Guest \- That is very nice of you to say. Thank you.

Diaz Chatnoir \- This version of Valvatorez is pre-Disgaea 4, but *after* his promise with Artina. That outta give you a hint as to where he's at. I really like that guy... Looking forward to Disgaea 5!

ssnnooppyy \- I'd like to develop the Dipcifica stuff some more as well. I guess we'll both just have to wait and see what happens.

Miss Momolo \- Thanks.

mdizzle \- Thank you. I *really* hope to have the next chapter out soon.

Brandan \- There's still a lot for me to work on, unfortunately. Hopefully the second part of this chapter won't take too long... But I want to make sure it turns out great. So I guess we'll see.

pheonixhunter300 \- Soon. Ish.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Four: The Green House

"I can't believe you made us _lose_ , Pines." growled Pacifica.

Dipper sighed.

Looking somewhat defeated, Mabel, Candy, Grenda, Pacifica and Dipper were making their way around the main school building, towards the school Green House.

The dodge-ball battle had been 'memorable' to the least.

First, there was Grenda's powerful battle cry. It practically shook the Earth, and it made everybody on the field cower in fear. Even Dipper couldn't help but flinch. Unfortunately, powerful as she was, Grenda was also something of a big target. And as she laid on the grass, performing a particularly melodramatic death scene as Candy and Mabel knelt by her side and sniffled- Mabel and Candy were quickly taken out of the game as well.

That left only Pacifica and Dipper to fend for themselves during the viscous onslaught of dodge-balls. They were both actually pretty good at dodging the balls. But, for different reasons. Pacifica considered herself something of an athlete- and the wall of trophies she had back home certainly spoke to that.

Dipper on the other hand had never been particularly good with sports. He _did_ however, have plenty of experience dodging things. From flying dinner plates, to fireballs, to evil dodge 'em cars.

As the game went on, Pacifica even managed to throw a few balls back to the other team.

Then it happened. As if he was being pushed by some kind of outside force, Dipper found himself crashing straight into Pacifica- sending them both tumbling into the grass. And a wave of flying dodge-balls soon followed.

"I said I was _sorry_ , Northwest. It was an _accident_ , okay?" said Dipper.

Pacifica huffed. "I'll have you know, I'm not _used_ to _losing_. _Pines_. Maybe _you've_ gotten used to it- But _I_ still at least _try_ to win." she said.

Dipper rolled his eyes. Before he could come up with a proper retort, however, Mabel suddenly appeared between them, and wrapped her arms around their shoulders. "Aw, come on guys! There's no need to fight!" she exclaimed. "Don't you think it's amazing that we even go to meet up again? I mean- what're the chances?"

Pacifica did her best to wriggle out of Mabels grip- but naturally, escape was impossible. "I- uh... I don't know. I guess it's kind of... _Lucky_..." she muttered.

Mabel beamed. "Uh-huh! I's been like _years_ since we've last seen each other, right? So what's goin' on over in Pacifica land?" she asked.

Pacifica shifted her gaze to the ground. "Oh, uh... I don't know... Just... More of the same..." she muttered.

"I heard that she won another bunch of trophies for mini-golf!" Grenda exclaimed, as she and Candy caught up with them. Candy nodded. "Yes. And I have also heard that she had continued to win the Miss Gravity Falls competition, even though she only visits during the holidays now." she added.

"That's awesome, Pacifica! I'll have to challenge you to another mini-golf tournament! And this time, no little golf-ball men!" exclaimed Mabel.

Grenda and Candy shared the same confused look. "Uh... What?" they asked, in perfect unison.

Mabel finally released her grip on Dipper and Pacifica in order to regale Grenda and Candy with a story. Dipper used that as an opportunity to draw his face close to Pacifica's. "Don't tell her about the whole 'room-mates' thing... I'm not sure how she'd react- But I _can_ tell you that she probably won't keep it a secret. Okay?" whispered Dipper.

Pacifica quickly pushed him away, and did her best to control how red her face had suddenly become.

"Uh-huh, sure. Whatever." she muttered.

While Mabel regaled her friends with her own highly embellished version of the mini-golf story- with the additions of a handsome prince and a live performance from Every Direction- an awkward silence fell over Dipper and Pacifica. They walked together in silence for a few minutes, before Dipper finally spoke up.

"So... Uh... How long have you been at this school, anyway?" he asked.

Pacifica thought for a moment, and shrugged. "About... Two years now." she muttered.

Dipper nodded. "Uh-huh. And... Have you noticed anything particularly weird around here?" he asked.

"Not until _you_ showed up."

"Really?"

"Well, aside from the _faculty_ \- no. Of course, I don't go around _looking_ for that kind of thing."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Sure about _what_?"

"Are you sure you haven't noticed anything else kinda weird about this place? I mean, this school seems to be _crawling_ with weirdness. I mean, it took me less than hour not just to find a secret passageway- but some kind of _monster_ , guarding it."

Pacifica frowned. "Wait- you think that... _Thing_... Was supposed to be guarding something?"

"Of course! Why else would it just happen to be right there, in the middle of a secret hidden passageway? I'll bet it leads to something. Something... _Secret_."

"... You're going back there, aren't you?"

"As soon as I get the chance, sure. I'll bring my own flashlight this time, though."

" _Idiot_." growled Pacifica. "Your going to end up getting yourself hurt. Or _worse_. Why?"

"Because it's what I _do_." said Dipper.

"Uh-huh. Well... Leave me out of it."

"I wasn't planning on _inviting_ you, _Northwest_."

Pacifica clenched her hands into fists. Rage was beginning to boil over in her chest. But before she could say anything back at him- Mabel ran through the two of them, and threw her hands into the air. "We're here, you guys!" she announced.

The Green House was an enormous glass building, covered in vines and surrounded by a group of tall trees. There was all manner of plant life pressing up against the glass from the inside, making it impossible to peer inside. The pathway leading to the door was covered in tall grass and clusters of colorful flowers. There were also a few flowers growing out of cracks in the Green House walls, along with a few giant leaves. The vines that ran along the outside of the Green House also seemed to be sprouting a few flowers of their own, along with a variety of sharp red thorns.

Mabel made her way through the thick, tall grass first. Followed closely by Grenda and Candy.

Without speaking, Dipper and Pacifica followed.

The entrance was an enormous steel door, with a wheel handle sticking out of the middle. It had giant rivets running across its surface, along with a few patches of rust. It looked like something that belonged in an old abandoned submarine.

Grenda grabbed the handle, and let out a low grunt as she pushed against it. "This things _tough_..." she muttered. The wheel turned slowly, but eventually there was a loud 'click'- and Grenda, Candy and Mabel pushed the door open together.

There was a deafening screech as the door moved open inch by inch. Even with Dipper and Pacifica's help, it seemed like an eternity before the door was open wide enough for everyone to make their way inside.

It was pitch black. It took a few minutes of feeling around on the walls, but eventually Dipper manged to find a light switch.

The area was suddenly illuminated with a dull orange flow. They were standing in a small grey room. On the other side of the room there was another doorway. This one leading to a long set of stairs that went down into what looked like nothingness. Dipper fiddled around with his trench-coat pockets, until he finally managed to find his flashlight. He glanced at Pacifica. "See? I remembered this time." he said.

Pacifica rolled her eyes.

Dipper turned on the flashlight, and aimed in down the staircase.

The stairs seemed to go on and on- for at least as far as the light could reach. Dipper frowned. "Uh... You know, we could probably just _say_ we did it and go to lunch..." he muttered.

"Oh, come on! Don't be such a baby!" bellowed Grenda. "Come on, Dipper- Lead the way!"

Dipper felt something in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. It was the same feeling he got whenever he entered a haunted house. Or a haunted cave. Or a haunted _anything_. He took a deep breath, and sighed. "Okay..." he muttered. "Follow me."

The silence was deafening. As the five of them made their way down the stairs, things seemed to get more and more silent. It felt as though their senses were being dulled with every step they took. The uneasy feeling in his stomach was getting worse, as he did his best to focus on what was ahead of him.

The stairs seemed to go on forever. As did the silence.

Suddenly, there was a loud 'SLAM!'

Everybody jumped.

"Wh- What was that?" muttered Candy.

"I don't know... Y-you think maybe there's... Something out there?" muttered Grenda.

Dipper's eyes widened, as he felt all of the color leave his body.

The sound had come from behind them- which meant that it could have only been one thing.

The door had swung closed.

Dipper felt something tug at his jacket. It was Mabel. And she looked worried. "Dipper?" she muttered. "You don't think that-... That sound was..." she trailed off, but Dipper understood what she meant immediately.

He gave her a grave nod.

Mabel gulped. "Well... We should be able to open the door from the _inside_... right? A-and... There's probably another exit... right?" she whispered.

Dipper shook his head. "I don't know... Should I go back and check?" he asked.

Mabel thought for a moment, and then shook her head. "No... No, let's just get our job done quick- Then we can get out of here for lunch..."

Dipper nodded.

Mabel took a deep breath, and put on the biggest smile she possible could. Then, she turned to face her friends. "Alright, girls! Let's go! All we gotta do is mop some floors and stuff, and we'll be out before lunch ends!" she exclaimed.

Granda and Candy, while frightened, managed to smile.

"Yeah! And I'll have the super-mega-ultra-deluxe sandwich! It's got the perfect balance of every kind of meat!" said Grenda.

"And I will have a salad." added Candy.

"I'll have a piece of everything! The variety at this place is amazing!" said Mabel. "Last night, I had a hot dog, a slice of pizza, a hamburger, some lasagna, _and_ a turkey leg! All at once. It tasted terrible- But it was the _best_ kind of terrible!"

Pacifica grimaced. "How do you even come up with the _idea_ for that?" she asked.

"Well, what'll _you_ have for lunch, Pacifica?" asked Mabel.

Pacifica thought for a moment. "Well... Probably a salad... Like, uh... Like the pink girl." she said.

Candy rose her hand. "Actually, my name is Candy, Miss Pacifica. But you can call me Pink Girl if you like. It makes me sound like a cool superhero!" she said.

Grenda nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

While Candy, Mabel and Grenda began to come up with an appropriate theme song for their newly invented superhero, Dipper finally made it to the end of the staircase. The staircase ended at a long platform that seemed to be hanging over a dark abyss below. There was another bit metal door on the other side.

The platform had a pair of long metal guard rails along each side, which seemed to be covered in a familiar looking series of vines. Rising from the abyss below, there were also a few tall trees hanging over the edges of the platform, covered in vines and flowers.

As Dipper made the first careful steps onto the platform, Mabel, Candy and Grenda continued to sing- while Pacifica stood off to the side, looking uncomfortable.

The flashlight lit up a few streams of what looked like some kind of smoke, coming out from the darkness beneath. Dipper frowned. The platform was starting to creak with every step he took. Suddenly, his stomach growled. He rubbed it, and sighed. From the looks of things, they probably weren't going to make it out of there before lunch finished. Which meant that he would have gone almost the entire day without eating.

That wasn't anything new to him. As Mabel could attest, he had a bad habit of forgetting to eat whenever he was deep into 'obsession' mode. But it wasn't like that made being hungry any easier for him.

Then- something clicked in the back of his mind. He began to fiddle with hiss trench coat pockets, until he finally produced what looked like a crumpled cylinder of aluminium foil. It was a breakfast burrito. Mabel had given it to him in Mrs Voorhees' class, and somehow- despite how _hungry_ he was- he had managed to forget all about it.

Until now.

As he slowly unwrapped one end of the aluminium foil, he heard a strange noise coming from behind him. He frowned, and glanced over his shoulder.

Grenda, Candy and Mabel were standing side by side, and gently swaying as they sang their newly formed 'Pink Girl' song. Pacifica, who seemed to be standing as far away from them as she could, shot Dipper a look. It looked like something of a cross between a plea for help, and a look of blame.

Dipper smiled at her, and she huffed in either embarrassment or frustration. Probably parts of both.

Looking satisfied, Dipper turned his attention back to his beloved breakfast burrito.

Only to find it missing.

He blinked.

Frowning, he aimed the flashlight at the floor. The surface of the platform was covered in patches of dirt, moss and rust. But no breakfast burrito's. He frowned, and he was about to move the flashlight in another direction when he noticed something shiny on the floor.

He frowned. They were pieces of foil. And as he looked at them, a few more fluttered down to the floor.

He gulped. That sinking feeling was back. He took a deep breath, as he slowly aimed the flashlight up at the ceiling. The ceiling was coated in thick layers of lush greenery. Moss, vines, flowers, enormous leaves- and more. As he stared at the ceiling, it didn't take him long to notice some movement.

It looked like a flower, twitching and churning around in the middle of the ceiling. The flower looked like a red venus flytrap- only much bigger. Around the size of Dipper himself. A few more pieces of foil fell out of the flower, and Dipper quickly realized something.

It was _chewing_. He watched in silence, as the plant moved one of the long thorny vines it was connected too, to wipe its mouth, before opening it wide again and going still.

"Uh... Guys? Maybe we should turn back after all." said Dipper.

The singing trio suddenly stopped, and Mabel pouted. "Aw, come on Dipper! We're only just starting to have some fun!" she exclaimed. Grenda and Candy nodded in agreement.

Pacifica cleared her throat.

"I... I agree with Pines." she said.

Mabel grinned. "You see, Dipper! Pacifica's on my side!" she exclaimed.

"Uh- Actually... I meant-... I agree with your _brother._ " said Pacifica.

Mabel gasped. " _Pacifica_! Does girl-power mean _nothing_ to you!?"

Dipper sighed. "Look- I can just do this by myself... I mean, it's my fault we lost the dodge-ball game anyway, right?" he said.

Pacifica frowned. "You are _not_ doing this by _yourself_." she said.

"What do you care, Northwest? Shouldn't you have already ditched us ages ago? I thought that cleaning stuff was 'beneath' you." said Dipper.

Pacifica growled as she walked over to Dipper. Apparently he had touched a nerve.

"I'll have you know it _is_ beneath me, Pines. And if you had just paid some attention to the game, maybe we'd all be out having lunch instead of walking around in a giant creepy garden!" yelled Pacifica.

"I _told_ you- it was an accident! And if you don't want to be here so much, then just _leave_! I'm not stopping you." said Dipper.

"And then what? You'll go around poking your nose where it doesn't belong and get yourself hurt again!?"

"What're you _talking_ about?"

"I-... I heard about it online. You went off on one of your adventures by yourself. And what happened? You almost died. And I'll bet that wasn't even the _first_ time!"

Dipper grit his teeth. "Have you been keeping _tabs_ on me?"

"N-no! Of course not! I'm just saying that-... That if you keep trying to do this stuff alone, then one day you'll really get yourself _hurt_. Or _worse_!"

"I know what I'm doing, _Northwest_!"

"Oh, _really_!? Because that's _news_ to me!"

As Dipper and Pacifica began to yell at each other, Mabel, Grenda and Candy began to exchange nervous glances. "Uh, guys? Come on- don't fight..." said Mabel.

"I've saved Gravity Falls, _and_ my home town more times than you could _count_! What've _you_ ever done!?"

"Well- I remember saving you from being turned into a tree by a lumberjack ghost! Do you remember that!? And for every time you've 'saved the day', how many times have you gotten yourself hurt? How many times did you make some stupid mistake and have to rely on everyone else to clean up _your_ mess!?"

"I don't need to hear this from some dumb rich girl whose never had a _real_ problem in her entire _life_!"

"I've got _problems_ \- Not like _you_ , though. Right? Because I'm sure the problems of some introverted _loser_ are _much_ more serious!"

Before Dipper got the chance to hurl another round of insults at Pacifica, he suddenly felt his body being pulled into the air. He blinked, as he realized that Grenda had basically picked him up off the ground by the back of his collar, with one hand. And she had done the same with Pacifica with the other.

"That's _enough_." growled Grenda.

Dipper and Pacifica went silent.

"Come on, you guys..." said Mabel as she took a few steps closer to the two of them. "We're all supposed to be _friends_."

Dipper scoffed. "I'll _never_ be friends with _her_." he growled.

Pacifica's face fell, and she felt her heart sink.

She looked away from him. Doing her best to make sure that nobody saw the look on he face. Especially Dipper. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes, as she felt a surge of pain in her chest. She tried to breath, and pull herself together. She couldn't let them see her like _this_. Not them, and not anybody.

Mabel approached her brother, looking concerned. And sad.

"Come on, Dipper... We can all do this _together_. Okay? I mean... We used to handle this kind of stuff together all the time back in Gravity Falls. We can handle anything this place throws at us."

Suddenly, and as if on cue, there was a loud 'SNAP!'- and the platform they were all standing on suddenly fell out from under them. Sending them all falling into the dark abyss below.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

It didn't take long for their fall to be buffeted by a series of thick tree branches and vines. Unfortunately, most of the things that broke their fall was covered in thorns. At least- that's how it was for Dipper. Eventually, he came tumbling to the ground with a hard 'thud'. He groaned, as he scraped himself off of the floor.

Not far behind him, the girls managed to land in a big pile of leaves and dirt.

After a few minutes quiet muttering, everyone managed to get back on their feet.

"Is everybody okay?" called out Grenda, as she brushed herself off.

"Uh-huh!" yelled Mabel.

"I am okay, also." said Candy.

Dipper noticed his flashlight lying at his feet. Broken. He sighed. " _I'm_ okay... But... I can't really say the same for my flashlight..." he muttered. He squinted at the darkness around them, doing his best to try and force his eyes to adjust. Unfortunately, it was impossible. It was just _too_ dark.

He frowned, and put his hands out in front of him. "Where are you guys? I can't see a thing..." said Dipper. Finally, his hands seemed to settle on something. His frown deepened. It was cold- and it felt like metal.

'Is this a wall?' he thought, as he ran his hand across the surface. Suddenly, he felt something start to squirm under his fingers, and he drew his hand back with a yelp.

Suddenly, the walls were lit up in a dull green glow. Dipper winced, and squinted at the sources of the light.

They looked like caterpillars. Thousands of them. Each one glowing a bright enough green that it was hard to look at them for too long. With the new light, Dipper was able to see that they had landed in front of some kind of hallway. The glowing caterpillars were crawling across the walls and the ceiling of the hallway in dozens of thin lines. And there were also a few clusters on the wall at the entrance- where Dipper was standing.

The room they were standing in was a wide open space, filled with plants of all kinds. Some big, some small- all of them colorful. The wide trunks of some of the trees that they had seen from the balcony were surrounding them at almost all sides. Between them were thick green bushes and clusters of long grass. Of course, there were also flowers. Some of them poking out amongst the bushes, some of them growing by themselves straight out of the floor, and still more covering the trees.

As he looked over their surroundings, something suddenly occurred to Dipper.

"... Pacifica?" he muttered.

No response.

Dipper grit his teeth.

"Pacifica? Pacifica! Where are you!?" he yelled.

There was a short pause, before Pacifica finally pulled herself out of a pile of dirt and leaves. She grimaced, as she did her best to brush the dirt and leaves out of her uniform. And her hair.

"Are you..." Dipper suddenly trailed off. He frowned. "Are you... _Okay_?" he muttered.

There was a long period of silence, before she finally opened her mouth to respond. "Other than being completely _filthy_ , I'm _fine_... I guess..." she muttered.

Dipper breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay... Okay, good. Nobody touch _anything_ , okay?"

Grenda nodded, as she leaned against a tree. "Uh-huh. Sure thing, Dipper. Oooh- Look at the pretty flower!" she exclaimed. As she spoke, she pointed to an enormous flower that seemed to be growing out of the tree she was leaning on. It was bright red, and checkered with spots of black and green.

The flower suddenly began to swell, just as Grenda brought her face up to it. "Huh- that's weird. I don't smell anything... I must have to push my face even closer." she said.

"Grenda- No!" yelled Dipper.

The middle of the flower suddenly 'popped'. Sending an enormous tuft of pollen directly into her face. Grenda coughed and sputtered, while Dipper shook his head and sighed.

"Aw, man! What a jerky flower!" Grenda yelled as she rubbed her eyes. "Aw, man- some it got in my eyes... And up my nose... A-... _ACHOO_!"

While Grenda was doing her best to expel the pollen in every way she could, and Pacifica was picking leaves out of her hair, Dipper rubbed his forehead and tried to think.

Mabel meanwhile, had been standing in place. Quietly staring off into the distance. Candy adjusted her glasses, and made her way towards her.

"Mabel? Are you okay?" asked Candy.

Mabel blinked. "Huh? Oh- Uh... Sure. Sure, I'm okay..." she muttered. "What about you?"

Candy smiled at her. "Well... It has been a while since I have had such a rough and tumble fall... It reminded me of our time in Gravity Falls. Going on 'adventures'."

A few seconds passed in silence. And then, Mabel smiled. "Yeah... You're right." she muttered.

"What are you thinking about, Mabel? It seemed to have you a little... worried." said Candy.

Mabel looked at Dipper, and then at Pacifica. She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. " _Those_ two... Their making my Mabel-dar go haywire." she said.

Candy blinked. "Who? Dipper and Pacifica?" she asked.

Mabel nodded.

"How so?" asked Candy.

"Well... I mean, didn't you see the way they were arguing? I haven't Dipper so upset since the cancelled Mysterious Mysteries of Strange Mysteries... And Pacifica... Dipper's been like the only one she'll even speak to. She hasn't even spoken a whole sentence to _us_." said Mabel.

"Yes... I had noticed that too." said Candy.

"There's just something happening with those two... But... I'm not exactly sure _what_. But it's got my Twin-dar and my Gal-pal-dar on _high_ alert." said Mabel.

"You have a lot of radars." said Candy, with an impressed look on her face.

Mabel grinned. "Aw, that's nothin'. I also have a Smile-Dip-dar, a cutie-dar, _and_ a spoiled milk-dar. They come in handy more often than you'd think." said Mabel.

Dipper's voice suddenly cut through the room. "Hey, Mabel? Candy? Northwest- Can you guys come over here? I think we should come up with some kind of strategy to get out of this place." he said.

Mabel frowned. "Hey, come on Dipper! We're tryin to talk about very important stuff over here!" she yelled.

Candy nodded. "Yes. We have _priorities_ , Dipper." she added.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh. Do you want to figure out a way to escape, or not?" he asked. Candy and Mabel shared a look, and sighed. "I _guess_..." they muttered, looking defeated. As they turned to make their way over to Dipper, Candy noticed a subtle hint of movement in the long grass nearby.

She blinked. "Did you see that, Mabel?" she asked.

"See what?" asked Mabel.

Candy frowned, as she took a few steps closer to the patch of long grass. "I just... I could have sworn I just saw something..." she muttered. She squinted, and adjusted her glasses as she peered down at the grass.

A green hand suddenly lunged out from amongst the grass, and grabbed her around the collar. Candy had just enough time to scream- before she was pulled into the grass.

"CANDY!" screamed Mabel. Without thinking, she dived in after her.

Dipper felt his heart suddenly freeze in his chest. "MABEL! CANDY!" he bellowed.

"What happened?" yelled Grenda, as she finished wiping her face with her shirt. A cascade of hissing noises filled the room. Without saying anything, Dipper began too run towards the area where Mabel and Candy had disappeared. Suddenly, something began to emerge from amongst the grass.

It was shaped like a person. Walking slowly, and awkwardly on it's hands and knees. Covered in what appeared to be a tightly bound series on thin green vines and leaves. It had no eyes, no ears, and no nose. It's face was featureless, save for a small opening at the bottom. It looked like it's mouth. And is it drew closer to them, it let out a low hiss.

Creatures like it began to emerge from the plants and the grass all around them. Grenda and Pacifica stood close together, behind Dipper, as the creatures began to draw closer and closer.

Dipper grit his teeth.

The creatures were equipped with what looked like long black claws on the end of each of their fingers, and a series of long pointy spikes jutting out of their backs.

He took a deep breath. "Guys..." he whispered. "We're going forward... Follow me."

"Did... Did one of those things take Candy?" whispered Grenda. Her voice trembling with fairly uncharacteristic fear.

Dipper nodded. "Mabel went after her... And we're doing the same." he said.

"Any idea's on how we'll get out of here once we've got them back?" whispered Pacifica. She grit her teeth, and put all of her energy into not screaming, as the green creatures continued to hiss and drool.

"I'm... Working on that." muttered Dipper. "Everyone ready? We'll go on three."

"I think maybe now's not the time for a _countdown_." growled Pacifica.

"...Fair enough. NOW!" yelled Dipper. As soon as he yelled, Dipper ran as quickly as he could- as the creatures began to lunge at them. He ducked underneath the one of front of him, and Pacifica managed to jump over it. Avoiding its mouth, claws and the cluster of spike on its back, Grenda managed to push it to the side with an elbow to the side of its head.

It didn't stop the creature for long, and it quickly followed the others, as the trio ran through the thick patch of grass that Candy and Mabel had disappeared into. It led to another long dark tunnel. Naturally.

The three of them ran faster than they ever had before. As the creatures chased them, leaping on all fours like a group of creepy, hissing frogs.

The hissing seemed to get louder. Angrier. But Dipper, Grenda and Pacifica didn't look back.

They just ran.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

A mountain of bodies. Each reduced to a dried up husks of skin and bone. Rising from the middle, was an enormous tree. Spreading its branches across the ceiling. The tree seemed to loom over the entire room, and everything in it.

The tall flowers with long teeth around their petals. The long, thick vines with red thorns that seemed to spread as far and wide as they could. Even the hissing ones.

They were all quiet in that room. Still.

Because the great tree was watching them. And should they find themselves falling out of favor with it, it would not take long for them all to be reduced to soil.

The hissing ones spun a web of vines, and wrapped the girl inside.

Then, they took her up the mountain of bodies. Climbed up the trunk of the great tree. And placed her amongst the branches close to the top. The hissing ones scurried off soon after.

They had to find them all. All the fleshy ones. And give them to the great tree. The fleshy ones would become a part of the mountain of bodies, which would eventually become one with the tree.

The fleshy ones would scream.

Bleed.

Die.

But at least for them- the pain would one day come to an end.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper and Grenda pushed against the door with everything they had. On the other side, a hoard of the green hissing creatures were pushing back. Grenda let out a loud grunt, as she and Dipper slowly managed to push the door completely closed.

"Now, Northwest!" yelled Dipper.

As Grenda and Dipper struggled to keep the door in place, Pacifica grit her teeth as she turned the wheel in the middle of the door. It was another one of those big metal doors, and much like the others- it was coated with big patches of rust. The wheel squeaked as it began to turn, and Pacifica could feel her arms scream in protest as she forced the wheel around.

Finally, there was a loud 'click', and Dipper and Grenda suddenly collapsed in exhaustion. As they did their best to catch their breath, the creatures started slamming themselves against the door. There were a few loud bangs, followed by more angry hissing.

They were quiet for a while, as they struggled to catch their breath.

They had been running for what felt like an eternity. Through a complex maze of hallways- all of them filled with more and more of the hissing creatures. They were everywhere. Some of the hallways were also filled with the smells of blood and death- luckily they hadn't been forced to stay in any one place for very long.

Until now.

They were in a room- they could tell that much. Unfortunately, it was close to pitch black. But, it was probably empty. Judging by the way they weren't being attacked and killed at the moment.

Dipper removed his glasses, and wiped the sweat out of his eyes. There had been no sign of Candy or Mabel- and there was no telling how far separated they were by now.

"... Are you... Like... A magnet for these things things or something... Pines?" muttered Pacifica, as she slowly slid down to the floor. Her hair, her make up and her uniform- they were all ruined. She grimaced, as she fan her fingers along the tears in her skirt. The creatures had gotten pretty close with their long black claws. _Too_ close.

Dipper took a deep breath, and frowned. "Now's not the time, Northwest..." he muttered. After a few more minutes of silence, he finally got to his feet. "Just... Just help me find a light switch or something..." he muttered.

Pacifica frowned. " _Fine_..." she spat.

Dipper rolled his eyes at her. "Grenda? I can't... I can't see you- Are you okay?" he asked.

Grenda blinked. "Hmm? Oh- Don't... Don't worry about me. I'm just... I feel kinda tired. I guess I need to start hitting the ol' weight lifting bench some more..." she said.

"Okay... Well... Just try to catch your breath." said Dipper. As he turned to leave, he stopped to say one more thing. "Mabel and Candy are going to be fine, Grenda... They've got each other- and hey, maybe we'll find some weapons here or something... Maybe a flamethrower."

Grenda snorted, and smiled. "That'd be pretty convenient." she muttered.

Dipper offered her a weak smile- which obviously, she couldn't see in the darkness around them. With that- Dipper began his epic search for a light switch. 'I really hope that there's somehow still power in this place...' he thought.

Dipper and Pacifica had almost gone around the entire room, blindly feeling the walls for anything even remotely resembling a switch. Finally, Dipper felt a metal box jutting out of the wall. Biting his lip and hoping, he felt over it's front surface, until he finally managed to open it.

Inside, there was a wide variety of switches and dials. Dipper poked at them cautiously, before he finally just started flipping switches at random. There was a loud whirring noise, and suddenly- the room was bathed in yellow light.

Dipper winced, as his eyes slowly adjusted to the light.

The room was big, and covered in thousands upon thousands of scribbles. It took a moment of staring for Dipper to realize that it was someones handwriting. Across the floor, the walls, and even parts of the ceiling. Parts of the writing was writiing over other stuff, while other large portions appeared to have been scribbled out. It was all written in thick, black ink. And some it seemed to have run and faded over time.

As Dipper tried to read some of the writing, he heard Pacifica let out a loud shriek. He turned to face her in an instant. He found her standing in front of a long line of filing cabinets. One of them was tipped over. And draped over it, was what looked like an old, decomposed skeleton. It was dressed in a long white labcoat, that was faded and covered in big patches of what he assumed to be dried blood.

The body also had long strands of hair sticking out of the remains of its scalp. Dipper guessed that it was proobably a woman.

On the wall, where the downed filing cabinet should have been standing, there was an enormous safe. Locked tight, naturally. There was a large dial on its door, along with a small wheel handle. Dipper frowned, as he shifted his gaze between the body, and the safe. It didn't take him long to decide which one to investigate first.

Dipper walked over to the body, and took a deep breath. "Move, Northwest." he said. Pacifica didn't say anything. She simply moved away, looking pale. As Dipper moved closer to it, she made a noise.

"Y-... You're not going to _touch_ it, are you?" muttered Pacifica.

"Not unless I need too..." muttered Dipper. "Hmm- I might need to flip him over..."

"C-can't... Can't you just leave it alone?"

"Aren't you curious, Pa- _Northwest_?" Dipper shook his head at his brief mistake. He wasn't going to call her 'Pacifica' until she started using _his_ first name. Well- the nickname, at least.

"Curious about what? L-... Looking at some guy wh-who... Who got _killed_ by those _things_...?" she muttered.

Dipper sighed. "Look- I don't have the time to go through all the basics of mystery solving and stuff. Okay? Just know that any piece of information you can find can come in handy." he said.

Pacifica grimaced. "Whatever..." she muttered. She looked away, as Dipper carefully turned the body over onto its back. He was tempted to try some of the schtick he had seen on one of those police procedurals on television. Like trying to identify the bodies gender, whether it had played tennis- and other traits, just by surveying the bones.

Unfortunately, that one night he had spent studying that kind of thing had been almost a year ago- and although he could still remember _some_ of it, something told him that Pacifica probably wouldn't appreciate it. So he stayed quiet, as he carefully looked over the body.

The first thing he found was an ID card. Clipped to the bodies labcoat. Dipper unclipped it, and wiped off a layer of grime.

'Doctor Helena Lecter' it read. Dipper frowned. "Huh..." he muttered. Without thinking, he put the ID-card in his pocket, and moved on. Most of the bodies clothes were completely deteriorated- save for the lab coat. And after a little bit of poking and prodding, Dipper managed to find a set of keys in the labcoat pocket. There was almost an entire handful of them- all attached to one brittle looking key-chain. The keys were long and thick. In fact, they looked like the kind of keys that had been used about a hundred years ago or so.

He frowned, and put the keys in another one of his trench coat pockets.

"Her name was Helena... Apparently, she was some kind of doctor..." muttered Dipper. He frowned, as he moved on to the filing cabinets. "I wonder if there'd be any interesting information in here..." he muttered. He shot Pacifica look. "Hey... Can you look through the filing cabinets over there? Pull out anything that's labelled 'top secret'."

Pacifica glared at him, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Dipper sighed. " _Please_?" he asked.

Pacifica faltered. After staring at him for a few more awkward seconds- she finally gave in.

"...Fine." she muttered.

Time passed, as Dipper found himself carefully moving the body away from the filing cabinets. Next, he tried to stand the fallen filing cabinet. Without saying anything, Pacifica moved to his side, and helped him stand it up again. Once that was done, she walked back too her end of the cabinets.

They began to collect a pile of documents with the words 'Top Secret' printed across the front. It was lucky that someone had decided to stamp them like that- they probably wouldn't have found them otherwise.

Once they were done, Dipper sat down next to the little pile of documents they had collected, while Pacifica stood off somewhere to the side.

Dipper opened up one of the files, and flicked through the pages.

Pacifica frowned. "Should we really just be... Standing here? I mean- What about your sister? And- uh... And... That pink-haired girl... They're still out there!" said Pacifica.

As if on cue, the hissing creatures on the other side of the door gave a particularly loud bang.

Without shifting his gaze from the pages in front of him, Dipper shook his head. "We can't go anywhere until those things have given up. Besides... Mabel's okay. I'm sure of it." he said.

Pacifica raised an eyebrow. "Is that, like... A twin thing?" she asked.

Dipper shrugged. "I guess."

A few more minutes of silence- save for the army of monster outside of course- passed, as Dipper sat there going through page after page, while Pacifica did her best to avoid looking at the dead body. Suddenly, Dipper let out a gasp- causing Pacifica to practically jump out of her skin.

"No _way_!" he exclaimed. "Listen to this- So apparently, some time during the cold war, scientists were trying to figure out ways to rebuild the land if there was a nuclear war. One of the projects they came up with, was something called the... Garden of Eden Creation Kit. Or the 'GECK'. And they were working on it right _here_."

Pacifica frowned. "I'm guessing it didn't go well?" she asked.

Dipper rubbed his forehead. "Well... I don't know yet. But it looks like their work wasn't exactly 'successful' for quite some time..." he muttered. He out the file he had down on the ground, and picked up another one.

"Oh- This one looks to be a collection of letters between some of the scientists at the time... Apparently things weren't going to well with the 'GECK'..." he frowned, as he continued to read.

"Well? What was it?" demanded Pacifica. Dipper noticed that she was standing over him now, looking curious. Dipper briefly considered saying something sarcastic- but for once, he decided to just let it slide.

"Okay... Listen to this.

'To Dr Lecter,

I am writing this in order to express the sincere concerns I have with the direction this project has begun to take. There are certain rumors going around, that you may have taken to relying on methods that are somewhat un-scientific. What is this 'magic plant' you have been writing about recently?

I would like to remind you that we are supposed to be scientists. We do not dabble in the supernatural.

Signed, Dr Henry Jekyll.'

'To Dr Lecter,

I have recently been made aware that the budget for our project has been quadrupled. What is the meaning of this? Why have you begun to hide the results of your experiments from myself and your other colleagues?

Please don't tell me that you have spun another one of your mad stories about this so-called 'magic plant'. Work on the GECK is an important step in being able to rebuild our country should it fall under nuclear attack. More than that- the functions of the GECK may well have global benefits that could take our entire species another step further into the future.

I cannot abide you risking the future of our project by investing so much into this queer obsession of yours.

I know that you are better than this, Helena. Please. Talk to me. Talk to your _team_. We are all in this together, for better or worse.

Signed, Dr Henry Edward Jekyll.'

'To Dr Lecter,

It saddens me deeply to have to tender my resignation. At this time, it appears as though our project has been overtaken by those who wish to use the GECK as some kind of weapon.

How did this happen? I know you. You have always been strong in the face of the forces that would bend our work to their own dasterdly means. Have you changed? Have you allowed your heart to grow cold in the face of war?

To tell you the truth, even though these seem like fairly plausible as reasons for your sudden change, I do not believe them. Instead, I believe the true force of this change has been your obsession. With the plant, and with that _book_. At this point, I have seen you do enough that I find myself being forced to reconsider all of my views on science, and of reality.

You, and this Lovecraft character. I have been witness to the powers you have been tampering with... And I must admit, that it is truly frightening.

I don't feel confident enough in our relationship anymore to believe that this letter might have any chance of changing you mind- or even giving you pause.

So, I can only say that I wish you all the best in the future. And I do. And I also hope for your sake- that someday in the future, you might see sense. And stop what you are doing- before you hurt anybody else.

With a heavy heart,

Mr. Henry E. Jekyll.'"

Dipper folded the last letter, and put it down. He glanced at the body off to the side of the room, and sighed. 'She didn't listen... Or maybe by the time she _did_... It was already too late...' he sighed again, and took off his glasses to rub his eyes. All of a sudden, he realized that Pacifica was sitting beside him. Reading over his shoulder.

She blinked, and looked up at him. "Is there any more?" she asked.

Dipper stared at her for a moment. Then, he turned his attention back to the folders. He picked up a new one, and opened it up.

"Oh- wow... Apparently the GECK was working well enough that they were able to engineer their own kind of plants... Anything they could think of. And... It says here that Dr Lecter-Hyde was putting a lot of money into replicating something... What exactly is was had been blacked out..." Dipper frowned, as he continued flipping through pages.

"Wait... here we go... 'Developing the _ might be the greatest achievement in human history. A weapon that will put even the nuclear bomb, to shame.'" said Dipper. His frown deepened, as he rubbed his forehead. He closed the file, and opened another. And another.

Then Pacifica pulled one out from the middle. "What about this one?" she asked.

Dipper blinked. The folder looked a lot like the other 'Top Secret' files. Except that this one had the words 'Please Read!' scrawled in ink on one side. He cleared his throat.

"Yeah-... Yeah, that one'd be a good one to check..." he muttered. "Good... Good work."

Pacifica smiled a little, but she quickly shook it off.

Dipper cleared his throat, and opened the file. And almost instantly, he let out a loud gasp. This time, Pacifica managed to not even flinch. She just frowned instead. "What is it this time?" she demanded.

Dipper gulped. "It says... That her work was based on a page from... The Necronomicon..." he muttered.

Pacifica raised an eyebrow. "So? Is that supposed to mean something?" she asked.

Dipper took a deep breath. "A lot of this stuff is just drawings of some kind of... tree.. Hold on- This looks like some kind of journal entry...

'Details are sparse. I was only able to extract a few clues over the phone- but after some convincing, I was able to get him to come visit my lab. There, he may be able to give me more details on the Tree of Life. His book may hold the key to everything.'

'He would not show me the entire book. Only a single page. I did my best to copy everything I could see. This is amazing. With the right ritual, I may be able to bring something truly magical to our world... I have been pestered by some of my colleagues. They think I'm going crazy... They'll think different when they see the tree.'

'It was a success! I was able to bring to the world the Tree of _Life_! The entire world is going to feel the love of the glow... I can't wait. It's just a small plant at the moment. But when it grows up... It'll bring true _light_ to this dreary world.'

'There was an accident, today. The staff has been getting clumsy recently. And I've been noticing that a lot more people have been visiting the lab recently... I wonder why?'

'The tree is thriving. But unfortunately, the same cannot be said for everyone else. There seems to be some kind of virus going around... I hope that it doesn't hurt the tree.'

'The tree had been developing new life already! I couldn't believe it! There have been these little flowers showing up all over the place. Even in the areas outside the quarantine! I can't believe how much power this little thing holds.'

'The man in black visited me again. And this time, he offered to let me read the entire book! I couldn't believe it! I'll be going through it tonight. I can't wait to see the new world of magic that lies ahead. The more I look over the Tree of Life... The more I see the folly in our human _science_. Magic can grant us power far beyond anything we could ever produce ourselves.'

'There was so much in that book... So much to learn... I will have to read it again...'

'I've come across the page for the Tree of Life a few times now... There seems to have been details that I didn't notice... be... foooooooroorereore...'"

Dipper stopped reading the entries for a moment, as he noticed the text suddenly start to become unreadable. He blinked. He turned to the next page.

'Tree.' it read. Just that one word, written in cursive, sitting all alone on a white page. Dipper frowned, as he turned tot he next page.

'The tree... The tree... I was... Tricked... ddsjw';;dk3sd9 Evil... 43dbcceoq[ld Death... It is not a Tree of Life. It is a Tree of Death... And pain... I...'

'The flowers that the tree spread everywhere... They are doing something to people. It's making people sick. I know that the tree is responsible... It... It's haunting me... Watching me...'

'306730673067306730673067306730673067306730673067'

Dipper frowned. He glanced at Pacifica. They were both just reading in silence by now.

The next few pages were more ranting about the tree. Some of them were just the words 'tree' and 'death' scrawled over and over again.

Until finally, there was one last page.

'I am ending this. It is only right. Everyone else has been turned... Except for me. I've already set up the bombs... They're all over the place. All I need do now is pull the trigger. If I'm to survive the explosion, I must either be very far away... Or I must hide in the panic room. There is a backup trigger in the panic room if I make it in time... I enlisted the help of an old friend to help set all this up... We were very quiet, but... I can still feel the tree watching me. The hissing ones are acting even more hostile than usual... It is as if they know what we are planning... If for some reason, anybody should come across this, I will leave you with all of the research I was able to do on the tree-flowers. Including my work on the cure for... It.

I can only hope I can hold off the madness... I've locked the Necronomicon away, so that nobody may ever make the same mistake... I made. The man who gave it to me... Never returned. I hope he rots in hell for-...

Well...

I suppose I should see him there. For all I've done.

If this is the last thing I'll ever write... Then I must deliver the following messages.

Never open the Necronomicon.

And Henry... Thank you so much. Please... If I don't survive... I hope that you might find happiness somewhere else.'

There was silence between Dipper and Pacifica, as they glanced at the body at the side of the room, and then back at each other. And then away from each other.

More silence.

Then, Dipper slowly turned the page. And froze.

There were sketches of the hissing creatures, alongside a few pictures of the flower. It was fairly big, and covered in spots.

'The pollen changes its victim... It makes them sick, and then they slowly turn into the monsters... I found what I believe to be a cure for it- but it wasn't easy to create. Experimenting on one of the fully mutated ones made the victim shed the mutations... But the subject was already dead. I believe that this plant mutation shuts down a great deal of the victims brain- and once the disease removed- it means death. But if the cure were administered early enough, perhaps the victim might be able to survive...'

Dipper twitched. He read the text one more time. And then he looked at the flower.

"No..." he muttered. He felt all the color leave his body. Grenda had been extremely quiet for a while now. Too quiet. Especially for _her_. Moving slowly, Dipper shifted his gaze to the doorway.

Grenda was still. Her head down. Her skin was writhing. As if there were something inside it, trying desperately to escape. Veins were beginning to pop up all over her arms, as her skin began to change color.

Dipper gulped. "Uh... Pacifica? I... I think we've got a problem on our hands..." he muttered.

Pacifica followed Dipper's gaze to the doorway, and grimaced. "Oh, come _on_ \- You've gotta be _kidding_ me..." she muttered.

Grenda looked up. There were veins popping out all over her face- all of them bright green. As her eyes rolled into the back of her head, she quickly jumped to her feet.

Her clothes began to tear, as they were suddenly engulfed with a mess of muscles and greenery. Tufts of what appeared to be grass were beginning to sprout up all over her body, as she stood over Dipper and Pacifica. Her sleeve's were gone- but luckily for everybody involved, her school shirt and her skirt seemed to hold.

She was now twice her usual size. She opened her mouth, letting a flood of drool fall down her chin as she stared vacantly at them.

Then, she roared. Loud enough to cause the entire room to tremble. Her skin began to flush a brighter shade of green, as she loomed over them. She began to twitch and spasm, as her body seemed to grow, and then shrink. Then, she pounced.

There was barely enough time for Dipper and Pacifica to jump out of the way, before Grenda came crashing down into the pile of top secret fine. She hissed, growled, and wrestled with the papers, as Dipper and Pacifica began to back away.

"Great- She's turning into one of them now... If she kills us, I am going to sue you for everything you've _got_ , _Pines_." growled Pacifica.

Dipper took a deep breath, and frowned. "The notes said that they made a cure-"

"But didn't it also say that it _killed_ the victim?" interrupted Pacifica.

"Well... She said there was a chance that it might work if we do it early enough." said Dipper. "But she also said that it was hard to develop... And that there's only one left... Where could she have put it?"

"The vault!" yelled Pacifica. She pointed to the rows of filing cabinets. The filing cabinet that they had stood up together, was standing off to the side, leaving the safe still barely visible on the wall behind it.

Dipper nodded. "Yeah..." he muttered. "But-... But I don't know the code..." he muttered.

Pacifica looked at Dipper, then at the safe. Then, back at Grenda- who appeared to have vanquished her paper enemies. She was standing up again- and looking right at them. Pacifica cracked her knuckles, and took a deep breath.

"I'll keep her busy. You just figure out the stupid vault." said Pacifica.

Dipper blinked. "A-... Are you sure?" he asked.

Grenda began beating her fists against her chest, as she let out another deafening roar.

"As sure as I'm ever going to be..." muttered Pacifica.

Suddenly, Grenda lunged at them. Dipper and Pacifica moved out of the way just in time for crash head first into the wall. Grenda pulled her head out of the small crater she had made in the wall, and gave another deafening roar.

Dipper and Pacifica shot each other a glance. "Hurry it up, Pines." whispered Pacifica. Dipper nodded, and made a beeline for the safe.

"Hey, greenie! Did anybody ever tell you that there's such a thing as working out in _moderation_!?" yelled Pacifica.

Grenda turned her attention to Pacifica, and snarled.

Pacifica gulped. She took a deep breath, and looked Grenda in the eyes. "Yeah! And also- The whole ripped sleeves look is _so_ last _century_."

Grenda launched herself at Pacifica. Pacifica ducked just in time to have Grenda glide over her head. Grenda flipped herself around in the air, and launched herself off of the other wall. Pacifica jumped to the side, sending Grenda sliding across the floor. Grenda dug her fingers into the floor and stopped herself, leaving a series of long claw marks across the floor.

Grenda got close, and began swiping at her with her big green hands. As the seconds passed, a set of long black claws began to grow out of her fingertips. Pacifica did her best to avoid them- putting her years of ballet training to good use. Unfortunately, Grenda was too fast.

Pacifica winced, as she felt a set of claws rip through a part of her skirt. Suddenly, Grenda thrust her elbow straight into Pacifica's stomach- sending her flying across the room.

She gasped for air, while her entire body began to scream with pain. "Pines?" she croaked. "You think you could hurry it up over there?"

Dipper grit his teeth, as he stared at the vault door. He turned the dial, doing his best to keep his hands from shaking as he went from number to number.

'1-2-3-4'

Nothing.

'0-0-0-0'

Dipper growled in frustration. "What is it!? What is the code!?" he yelled. "Hurry up and figure it out!" His jaw was clenched tight, as the trembling in his hands seemed to get worse. 'There has to have been some kind of clue...' he thought, as he closed his eye tight.

'Clue... Clue... That's it! Those numbers!'

Moving as quickly as he could, he turned the dial.

'3-0-6-7'

'Click!'

There was no time for him to celebrate. In the background, Pacifica had managed to wrap her arms around Grenda neck, as she hung over her back. Grenda was flailing wildly as she tried to get Pacifica to release her grip.

Dipper looked over the contents of the safe. There were a few clips of money. A picture. And a single orange vial. Next to it, there was a syringe- wrapped tightly in plastic. Dipper moved as quickly as he could. Unwrapping the syringe, and filling it with the contents of the vial.

Dipper bit his lip. "I've got the cure! But you'll have to get her to sit still!" yelled Dipper.

"Oh, really? Is _that_ all!?" yelled Pacifica, as she was being jostled wildly on Grenda's back. Grenda roared, and Pacifica felt her grip suddenly slip. Before she had the chance to get her grip back, she felt one of Grenda's hands wrap around her arm and pull her off of her back.

Grenda held Pacifica up to her face, and snarled at her. Pacifica grimaced.

Dipper gulped. He looked at the syringe, and then at Pacifica. He only had one shot. And he knew that he had to make it count.

Grenda drew Pacifica closer, as her mouth slowly began to widen. Suddenly, Pacifica swung her leg up as hard as she could- catching Grenda in right in the nose. Grenda let out high pitched howl as she let go of Pacifica, sending her crashing to the floor in a heap.

Dipper suddenly jumped onto her back.

Grenda let out an angry growl as she tried to grab at the boy hanging off of the back of her neck, and swipe at Pacifica at the same time. Pacifica grit her teeth as she scurried backwards.

Finally, Dipper held the syringe in the air- and plunged it into the side of Grenda's neck. Dipper pressed the plunger all the way down, just as he felt her grip on his trench coat. She pulled him off of her back, and threw him into the filing cabinets.

Pacifica pressed her back against the wall, as Grenda drew closer. Grenda rose her hand into the air, her long black claws glistening in the light. Pacifica grimaced.

"HEY! GRENDA!"

Grenda suddenly stopped.

Dipper was leaning against the filing cabinets, on his feet. There was a thin stream of blood trickling down his face. He took a deep breath. "Why don't you try picking on someone your _own_ size?" he asked. "I mean, I'm sure I could _find_ someone."

Grenda snorted, and was about to turn back to Pacifica- when she felt something bounced off of her face. She growled, and turned back to Dipper.

Dipper picked up another file, and threw it at her. It fluttered through the air, and bounced harmlessly off of her chest. "Come on. Come over here, green-girl. I can throw these things all day."

Grenda growled, as she began to stomp over towards Dipper.

Pacifica frowned. Leaning against the wall, she slowly got to her feet. "Wait- don't tell me you're _running away_..." she said. "You must be really _scared_..."

Grenda stopped, and then turned back to Pacifica. Then- another file bounced off the back of her head.

"No, Grenda. Over here. Look at me- I'm like the perfect victim. I've even got glasses. I'm sure that'll score you points with the other monsters." said Dipper.

Grenda looked confused.

"No, no- Ignore the dorky-kid. Listen. I'm a _blonde_. You can't get much better." said Pacifica.

As Dipper and Pacifica continued to argue over who would make a better victim, Grenda continued to turn to Pacifica, then to Dipper- and back again. Eventually, she began to feel woozy.

Dipper smiled. The cure appeared to be making its way through her system.

Slowly, but surely.

As she swayed on her feet, Grenda began to shrink. And the grass and the claws seemed to simply fall off. Finally, she collapsed. She was still green- but at least now she was back to her old size.

Dipper made his way over to Pacifica. "You okay?" he asked.

Pacifica nodded. "Yeah... I think... I'm okay..." she muttered.

Suddenly, Grenda sat up and projectile vomited a long stream of bright green goo. All over Dipper and Pacifica.

They stood there in silence for a moment. Coated in goo.

"You know what... I'm going to retract that last statement." said Pacifica.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Candy had awoken to find herself wrapped up in a cocoon of vines and greenery. Only her head was free. And even after what felt like an eternity of struggling, her arms refused to budge. She groaned.

"This... sucks..." she muttered.

Candy was nestled amongst a group of tree branches, far above the ground. Below her, there was a mountain of bodies surrounding the base of the tree. All reduced to husks of bone and flesh. If she had known that she was so far above the ground, or if she had seen the collection of bodies, she would have screamed.

But, it was dark. And Candy was focused on escaping.

The tree branches shifted about as Candy squirmed.

"Come _on_ \- I have to get out of here. Everyone will be worried." said Candy.

 _"Are you sure?"_

The voice seemed to cut through to her very core. All of a sudden, everything else that had been bouncing around in the back of her mind seemed to disappear. As her mind was filled by the sound of the voice sounded as if hundreds of people were all speaking at once. In a whisper.

Candy froze. "Who-... Who is there?" she asked.

One of the tree branches drew close to her face, and an eye suddenly appeared on its surface. Followed by another. And another. Suddenly, all of the branches were covered in eyes. Thousands of them. They even ran down the surface of the tree trunk. All of them in different shapes, sizes and colors. They blinked out of sync with each other, as they all seemed to focus their attention on Candy.

 _"What if... They have abandoned you?"_ whispered the eyes. The eyes seemed to whisper amongst themselves, as thousands of quiet voices began to fill the room.

 _"Abandoned..."_

 _"Rejected..."_

 _"Forgotten..."_

The whispers felt like needles poking and prodding from the inside of her skull. Candy grimaced, as the whispers seemed to get louder. And multiply.

 _"Discarded..."_

 _"Forsaken..."_

 _"Cast aside..."_

"STOP IT!" she screamed. The whispers began to meld together into a deafening noise. Candy closed her eyes and grit her teeth, as she tried desperately to block the voices out.

 _"Nightmares are visions of my realm..._

 _One of madness..._

 _Darkness..._

 _Release_ _your weary grip... Allow your sanity to fall away..._

 _As I drink away your consciousness, and cast aside the remains..._

 _You will be liberated from this eternity of pain..."_

"I AM NOT ALONE!" screamed Candy. "I HAVE FRIENDS! _BEST_ FRIENDS!"

 _"But do they still breathe?_

 _Or have they already become a set of my eyes?"_

Candy froze. Tears began to form in her eyes, as the tree branches began to close further in on her. The eyes of the branches continued to stare.

"No... They... They're alive... I know they are..." muttered Candy.

 _"Are they? Or have the hissing ones painted the walls with their blood?"_

She felt her blood run cold. Violent images began to flash in her head. Her friends...

Screaming...

Bleeding...

 _Dead_.

"CAAAAAN-DYYYYYY!"

Candy's eyes suddenly shot open, as the images dissipated in an instant.

Mabel burst into the room, with an enormous pack on her back- attached to a hose, that was in turn attached to what appeared to be a long silver gun. Mabel grinned, as the pointed the weapon in the air.

"CANDY! IS THAT YOU!?" she bellowed.

Candy could feel tears streaming across her cheeks, as she smiled. "YES! I AM UP HERE!" she yelled.

Mabel nodded, as she gripped her weapon. The hissing ones, and the enormous toothed-flowers turned to face her, as her grin seemed to widen.

"There's no need to fear! _Flamethrower_ -Mabel is here!" she bellowed. With that, she pulled the trigger, sending an massive stream of fire out in front of her. The plants squealed and back away, and Mabel ran towards the tree.

Tree roots burst out of the ground to swipe at her- only to get a taste of fire. The tree branches around Candy began to squirm. Candy began to wriggle through the mess of branches, as Mabel fended off another wave of branches and roots. The eyes on the branches and the roots continued to stare, even as they shriveled at the fire.

Finally, Candy managed to wriggle free of the clutches of the tree branches, only to find herself falling through the air. She bounced off of one of the bodies, and rolled down the rest of the way. Fire was beginning to fill the room as she rolled to a stop. As the chaos continued to unfold, she managed to free one of her arms. With her one free arm, Candy began to rip apart the vines as quickly as she could.

By the time she had finished, Mabel was standing next to her.

"Hey, Candy. You okay?" she asked.

Candy nodded weakly. "I... I think so..." she muttered.

A wave of tree branches began to stretch across the ceiling, and then down towards the girls.

"Where... Where did you find the flamethrower?" asked Candy. Mabel grinned. "Oh, I found it in this glass box that read 'Break in case of full-scale plant infestation'. Convenient, huh?" she asked, as she sprayed fire at the group of hissing ones that were slowly surrounding them.

Candy nodded. "It is." she said.

"You wanna try it?" asked Mabel.

Candy grinned. " _Do_ I?"

Candy slipped the back-pack on, and held the flamethrower in her hands. As the tree branches began to descend from above, she aimed the flamethrower into the air, and held down the trigger.

As the branches were coated in fire, they seemed to screech as Mabel and Candy made their way to the exit. Frying everything in sight. Before they left, Candy stopped at the door, and turned around.

She looked at the tree, as new branches seemed to spawn from the newly singed ones.

"I told you..." she muttered. "I am not alone. None of us are."

With that, Candy and Mabel raced down the hallway, as the badly burnt hissing ones gave chase.

Now all they had to do was find the others.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper and Pacifica were covered in green goo, doing their best to carry Grenda through the halls. The hissing ones seemed to be distracted by something, making it the perfect time to escape.

As they walked, Dipper ran through his plan.

"So apparently, Dr Lecter and that Dr Jekyll guy... They were stopped before they could set off some kind of explosion... She said that there's a trigger in the panic room... So if we can all hide in there, we should be able to put an end to all of this." said Dipper.

Pacifica frowned. "Will we even survive something like that? I mean- panic room or no, this place is like, _ancient_."

Dipper shrugged. "It's the best chance we've got. Plus, the explosion should attract some attention- so it won't be long before help comes our way." he said.

Pacifica sighed, and shook her head. "This is like your second day at this school, right? And your already blowing stuff up?" she asked.

Dipper nodded, wearily. "Yep. Pretty much."

They went quiet, as they continued to make their way through the hallway. After a few minutes, Dipper took a deep breath, and sighed.

"Listen, Pacifica... I'm sorry about what I said before... I-... I know your not just some dumb rich girl... I learned that a long time ago... I just-..." he sighed again. "I... I was being a jerk. And... I'm sorry, Pacifica. I guess... I owe you one more favor, huh?"

Pacifica shifted a little under his gaze. "No... No, you don't. I- I mean... I said some stuff too..." she muttered. "I... I'm sorry too Dipper... You're _not_ a loser... You're actually... Kinda..." she trailed off, as she felt a flood of warmth on her cheeks. She took a deep breath, and tried to shake it off.

"By the way... Thanks for reminding me about those _other_ favors... I _wonder_ what I'll have you do for me..." she said with a smirk.

Dipper gulped. "Please take it easy on me..." he muttered.

"Oh? Begging for mercy _already_?"

"Can't I just get you a can of Pitt or something?"

"Good luck with that. There aren't any vending machines in this school."

"Great. And I'll bet if there were, they'd probably be haunted or something..."

"A haunted _vending machine_?"

"I've seen weirder."

As they continued to talk, Pacifica felt a wave of relief. Sure, she was battered, bruised, tired, hungry, covered in goo- _and_ her uniform had almost been torn to shreds. But somehow, none of that seemed to matter anymore.

Naturally, that feeling didn't last.

From the other end of the hallway, there was a sudden cascade of hisses. Dipper and Pacifica froze. They were both more than a little fatigued. _And_ , they were carrying Grenda. They were in no shape for another long chase through the hallways. Then, they heard a different sound coming from the same direction.

Dipper frowned. Her could have sworn he had heard something like it before. But where?

Suddenly, Mabel and Candy popped out from around a corner. Candy turned to face the upcoming surge of the hissing creatures, and held out the flamethrower. "BACK! BACK I SAY!" she bellowed, as she launched another wave of fire. She began to laugh like a cartoon super-villain, as the hissing creatures backed away.

"Oh yeah- that's it." muttered Dipper. He'd recognize that laugh anywhere.

"Mabel! Candy!" yelled Dipper.

Mabel spun around, and raced over to him. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him- sending them both crashing to the floor.

"Dipper! Your safe! And- Eww... Covered in _goo_..." said Mabel, as she got to her feet. Then, she set her sights on Pacifica.

"Uh... I think I'm good, thank you." said Pacifica, as she began to back away.

Mabel smiled. "Aww, don't worry about it. I'm already all goo'd up, anyway." she said, before suddenly lunging forward and wrapping her arms around her. "I'm glad your safe Pacifica..." said Mabel.

Pacifica felt herself smile. Just a little.

"What happened to Grenda?" asked Mabel. Grenda was lying on the floor, snoring loudly.

Dipper shrugged. "She turned into a giant plant monster and tried to kill us. But, I- I mean, _we_ managed to cure it." he said.

Mabel smiled. "Classic Grenda."

Once Candy caught up to them, doing her best to keep the hissing ones at bay, Dipper went through his plan one more time.

Mabel stroked her chin. "A big ol' explosion, huh? Do you think it'll work?" asked Mabel.

Dipper nodded. "It has too. We have to put an end to knows how many people have innocently wandered into this place? And who knows what would happen if those plant creatures managed to make it outside?"

Candy turned to look at him. "Do not forget about the giant evil tree with thousands of eyes." she added.

Dipper nodded. "Yeah. That too."

"Alright then- So we just need to find this panic room, right?" asked Mabel, as she slowly picked up Grenda. Mabel's legs began to tremble beneath her, as she gave Grenda a piggyback ride. Mabel huffed, and took a few deep breaths. Although she would never say it out loud- Grenda was _heavy_.

Dipper nodded again. "Uh-huh. And I found a map of the entire facility in this group of files... So it won't take long to find it." he said.

"Alright then, team! To the panic room!" yelled Mabel. "Huh... That sounded a lot more heroic in my head..."

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Luckily, the panic room was clearly labelled 'Panic Room'. So finding it and crawling inside was fairly easy. Unfortunately, Candy had used up the last of the fuel for the flamethrower. So by the time they had all made it inside and closed the big metal doors behind them, the hissing creatures had managed to regroup.

As the five of them huddled close together, Dipper managed to find the trigger beneath one of the chairs. It looked like a plunger-device. The same kind that he had seen used in countless cartoons.

Dipper took a deep breath.

"So... Is everyone ready?" he asked.

Grenda was still unconscious, but everyone else gave a unanimous nod.

Dipper took a deep breath. "Alright then..." he muttered. And with that, he pressed down on the plunger as hard as he could.

At first there was a high pitched whirring noise. Everybody braced themselves.

Then, there was a massive 'BOOM!'. Followed by another, and another. The entire room began to shake, as the explosions tore everything to shreds.

Above ground, the glass house that they had entered through suddenly exploded in a massive ball of flame- sending fiery debris off in every direction.

The explosions swallowed everything. The creatures, the plants, and even the enormous tree. And it even threatened to swallow the panic room. Everybody huddled together, as parts of it began to crumble all around them.

Finally, all that was left was a giant smoking crater. And the panic room sitting somewhere in the middle of it- largely in tact.

As bits and pieces fell off into the distance, as figure walked through the wreckage, and approached the panic room. The doors were curled and cracked, making it relatively easy for him to pull one of them off and gaze over the people inside.

Everybody was unconscious. Some of them bleeding. But from what he could tell- they were all still breathing.

He chuckled to himself.

" _Impressive_." he muttered.

He stepped over the unconscious forms of everybody else, and reached his hand towards right hand began to itch. The blades on his fingers were thirsty of blood. Ignoring them, he used his left hand to search through the pockets on his trench coat. Finally, he pulled out a set of old looking keys.

"Well, well- Looks like you actually managed to _find_ 'em. You outta be my pawn more often." he said with a chuckle.

"Oh?"

Coach Krueger froze. He clutched the keys tightly in his hand, and growled.

Valvatorez was standing outside of the remains of the panic room, looking in. Coach Krueger cursed. He had been planning on taking care of the kids nice and cleanly. It would have been a perfect way to cover his tracks.

Plus- it meant he got to kill some teenagers. And he was always up for that.

"So... What is going on here, Coach Krueger?" asked Valvatorez.

Coach Krueger coughed, as he did his best to kid both his bladed glove and the keys, behind his back. "Oh, you know... Just making' sure the children are safe. You know me and kiddies. I'm always overflowing with... _concern_."

Valvatorez nodded slowly. "I see... You know, Coach Krueger... I had heard that you were the one who sent these students into the Green House in the first place. But of course- that must be a mistake. The Green House _is_ one of the forbidden zones, after all." he said.

Coach Krueger chuckled. "Why, Mister Valvatorez. That almost sounds like an _accusation_ of some kind..." he said.

Valvatorez flipped his cape into the air. "Would it also sound to you like an accusation for me to ask you why you are holding those _keys_ in your hand?" he asked.

Coach Krueger chuckled lightly to himself, as he stepped towards Valvatorez. "My, my- and here everyone around here thought that you were just some windy blowhard. Could it be that you have a brain somewhere in there after all?"

"Tell me, Coach Krueger. Are you aware that only _one_ of those keys is a _true_ key?" asked Valvatorez.

Coach Krueger paused, and scowled. "You have _got_ to be kidding me." he growled.

"I am afraid not. The _true_ second key was hidden away somewhere else. Somewhere safe." said Valvatorez.

Coach Krueger grit his teeth. "Well then- That puts a little damper on my big plans... Unless you'd be kind enough to tell me where that second key is." he said, as he brought his bladed hand out from behind his back. "Or... You know- if maybe you wanted to give me a little struggle, that'd be fun _too_."

Valvatorez sighed. "Go on, then. Try your worst." he said.

Coach Krueger snarled, and leapt out of the room. In one fowl swing, he plunged his bladed fingers directly in Valvatorez's chest. "Alright then- let's see what kind of secrets you've got rattlin' around in that empty mind of yours..." muttered Coach Krueger. He grit his teeth, as he pushed deeper into Valvatorez's chest.

"Who exactly do you think yourself to be _dealing_ with?"

Coach Krueger froze, as Valvatorez stared down at him. Unblinking. Not only was he not doubled over in pain- he wasn't even screaming. Coach Krueger frowned, as he focused his power into his blades.

In an instant, Valvatorez's arm expanded to the size of a car. It was covered in thick black scales, and long sharp claws. In one fowl swoop, he wrapped his hand around Coach Kruegers body, and pulled him into the air.

"Allow me to offer you my most sincerest thanks. Had it not been for your simple-minded attack, there would have been a small chance that I might face punishment for what I am about to do." said Valvatorez. "Now I ask you again, Krueger. Exactly who do you think yourself to be dealing with? I am the Tyrant Overlord Valvatorez!"

Krueger gagged. "Oh, gimme a break- URK!" he squeaked, as Valvatorez tightened his grip.

Valvatorez took a deep breath, and muttered something. Suddenly, Krueger burst into a flurry of black flames in his hand. Krueger let out a furious roar, as the fire ate away at him.

"I've known creatures like you in the past, Krueger. You are a pathetic one. Not just because you have broken your sacred oath to guide these children- But also... I simply can not abide such _laziness_. Perhaps in the underworld you might learn some true discipline." said Valvatorez.

Krueger let out one final roar, before his body was reduced to ashes. Leaving only his claw-glove and the keys lying in his wake.

Valvatorez's arm shrunk and seemed to go back to normal, as he dusted himself off. Then, he flipped his cape into the air. "I look forward to re-educating you as a Prinny! The day shall be near!" he announced. Then he turned his attention to the fractured panic room.

"Now then, children- perhaps I should fetch the nurse. Ah! Yes, I almost forget..." he muttered. Valvatorez stepped into the panic room, and gently placed the keys back into Dippers pocket. "Hold those keys close, young Dipper. As you continue down the path to finding the Necromicon... I hope for your sake that these friends of yours will be there to help."

And with that, Valvatorez seemed to disappear in a puff of smoke, as he left to find the nurse.

Not long afterwards, Dipper, Pacifica, Mabel, Grenda and Candy were all being carried off on stretchers. And as the sun set in the distance, Dipper's second day at Lovecraft Boarding School had finally come to a close.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

 _In the smoking remains of the Green House, a single tree root rose out from the dirt. A single eye popped up on its surface, as it carefully wrapped itself around Kruegers glove..._

 _And laughter filled the air._

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

( **AN** : This. Took. Effort. So. Many... Efforts! I hope you guys enjoy it. I know that writing action scenes is easily my biggest short-coming, so I apologize for that. As usual, your reviews are greatly appreciated!  
Also- please let me know if you want me to split this chapter in half for future readers. I know it's *super* long. In fact, it could have been even *longer*.)

(PS: Although I wish I could claim that I was being creative- I feel like I should note that the Hissing Ones were based in large part on some monsters you can find in Fallout: New Vegas)


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: The Nightmare of Valentines Day

 _'Take their hearts. Their love. And feed it unto me. Leave them as nothing but shadows. Lost to all but pain and misery. And when you have given me this... You will be gifted with the power you seek._ '

The boy smiled, as he carefully set down the page. He had been sitting in that same spot for what felt like an eternity. Perched on his favorite blue velvet seat, sitting in front of his dressing table. He stared in to the mirror, and watched his reflection share the same evil grin.

It was the dead of night, and he couldn't sleep. He was too excited.

Tomorrow was the day.

The day his dream came true.

There was a tapping on his window. He glanced at it, and rolled his eyes. "It's _unlocked_." he growled. "Just get in here."

The window slid upwards slowly, as a small jittery figure crept inside. The boy watched it struggle to squeeze through the fairly small space it had made for itself, and then fall to the floor in a twitchy heap. It stood itself up, and brushed itself off.

It looked like a small boy. He had long wavy black hair, that seemed to stick out every which way. And big glass eyes, that seemed just a few sizes too big for his head. His face was coated in a thick layer of white paint, along with a set of long red spirals on each cheek. There were lines tracing down from both sides of his mouth, that made him look like a cross between a puppet and a clown.

"Jigg Saw, Ace Reporter- At your service as always, Master." he said, as he approached the boy.

The boy snorted in response. "Your _late_." he growled.

Jigg ran a gloved hand through his frizzy hair. "Yeah, well have you seen the squirrels around here? They're as big as your head. And almost as ugly. Dang things almost gnawed through my humble wooden frame... Would it kill ya to just let me come in through the front door?" he asked.

The boy huffed. "Please. The last thing I want is for anyone to know that I have any sort of connection to the likes of _you_. And what was that you said about my _head_?" he growled.

"Nothin', Fatso. Now listen- Are we gonna waste time or did you want my report? Time is _precious_ , Master." said Jigg.

The boy twitched. "Silence!" he bellowed. "I will _not_ be spoken to that way! Not now- and not _ever_!"

Jigg rolled his twitchy eyes. "What ev's, bro. Can we get on with it? I managed to distract those squirrels with a bag of nuts... And I'd really like slip past 'em before they finish it." he said.

The boy snarled. "Fine. On with get on with the report, _puppet_." he hissed.

"Alrighty dirty tighty-whities. Lemme break it down for ya. So after the big 'splosion at the green house, it looks like they're all makin' a good recovery. Most of 'em only had to stay one day or so at the nurses station. That Dipper kid's still been goin' in for check-ups every day, though. I think he might be sweet on the head nurse." said Jigg.

The boy grimaced. And then, he suddenly smiled. "Interesting... Maybe I can use that..." he muttered.

Jigg shrugged. "Whatever you say, hogs-breath. Now listen- Pacifica Northwest spent almost an hour trying to convince the school not to contact her parents. I suspect that if they find out that their lil' girl has been runnin' around with the likes of the Pines twins, they might pull 'er right outta the school. We might be able to put some screws to 'er if we use the power of blackmail.

Can't say much on the boring ones. I think Lollypop or whatever her name is has been havin' some nightmares about whatever it is that happened in that Green House. And Brenda- Or... Jenda... Or, whatever- She seems to 'ave developed somethin' I can only describe as 'Plant Empathy'. I've seen her lookin' sad at dead flowers, dead grass- and salads. Though lookin' at 'er, I'm not sure if that last one's a particularly new phenomenon, if ya catch my drift. Kinda like _you_.

Next is lil' Mabel-syrup. She's probably the recovered the best outta the lot of 'em. So she's been spendin' all her energy tryin' to help 'er friends recover. She's been doin' pretty good, too. Looks like she's been tryin' to get Pacifica to join her lil' group of friends- and Pacifica's been avoidin' her.

Now, as of now- I believe Mabel's list of crushes had risen to somewhere in the twenties. Some of the peeps from the list include Mister Lovecraft himself, Mister Valvatorez, Hunky McSweetypie- Yeah that's his real name. I checked. Also Mister Skellington, the Winchesters, and that portrait of Lovecraft the First. To name but a _few_."

The boy smiled. "She always had such a big heart..." he muttered. He chuckled to himself. "And soon... It'll be _mine_."

"Whatever you say, Creepy McCreepyson. As of now, it looks like she's plannin' on givin' her Valentines cards to everythin' but the kitchen sink. 'Cept _you_ of course." said Jigg.

The boy sent him a growl, before turning back to the mirror. "Well... We'll just see about that. Because I've got a feeling that this Valentines day is going to be _very_ special." he said with a malicious grin. He put his hand onto the loose page, and gave it a gentle pat. "Because with this... All of my dreams, will finally become a reality."

"Yeah, yeah- I get it. Next you do the evil laugh thing, right? C'mon, Master- Can't you put your own spin on this whole 'villainy' thing? I mean _really_." said Jigg.

The boy grit his teeth, and slid out of his chair. Without a saying a word, he picked up Jigg- and threw him out the window. There was a loud 'crash!' followed by a small thump below. The boy wiped his hands with his handkerchief, as he carefully leaned out the now-broken window.

"Thank you for your services as always, Puppet. Report back to me tomorrow afternoon... As our plqn enters its final stages." said the boy.

Jigg picked himself up off the ground, and collected together some of the limbs he had broken after the fall. "It's been a pleasure, _Master_." he called out. He watched as the boy withdrew his head back into his room. "Probably goin' ta spend the rest of the night reflectin' on what a 'genius' he is." muttered Jigg with a sigh. "Oh, Gideon. You just doesn't see how _predictable_ you are... Oh well."

With a short shrug, Jigg turned around- only to come face to face with a group of angry squirrels. Holding an empty bag of nuts.

Jigg gulped.

"Uh-oh..."

Up in his room, Gideon slid back into his chair, and stared at the mirror. "Yes. Tomorrow is going to be a great day. Wouldn't you say so, lil' ol' me?" he asked.

There were a few seconds of silence, as he stared into the mirror. Then, Gideon suddenly burst into laughter. "Oh, lil' ol' me- you are just _too_ much." he said.

And so, as a clown-puppet found himself running into the night with an army of rabid squirrels rapidly gaining on him, Gideon continued to speak to his mirror, until he finally fell asleep in his chair.

Valentines Day was only a few hours away... And if everything went according to plan- it was going to be a _very_ memorable one.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

The nurses station was a small room with four hospital beds divided by long blue sheets, and a desk out front. Dipper had gotten to know it pretty well over the last few days. Old sickly yellow wallpaper, cracks in the ceiling, cobwebs, and an enormous glass cabinet that was filled with what a variety of potions and powders that looked to be at least a few hundred years old.

It had the same dreary atmosphere that Dipper had come to expect from places of medicine. It was as if all of the pain and anguish that anyone had ever felt in that room was still hanging in the air. Along with the faint smell of death.

Dipper shifted around in his seat, and sighed. There was a small waiting room by the front desk, filled with a few old plastic chairs and a small pile of even older pamphlets. The cover of the pamphlet on top of the pile had the words 'So, you've got Polio!' on it, along with an old faded cartoon of a boy wearing leg-braces, and shrugging comically.

Dipper stared at it for a while, and sighed. He had been sitting in the waiting room since breakfast. And there was still no sign of the head nurse.

It had been about three days since the Green House incident. Fortunately, none of them had been injured too seriously. Which, considering the fact that they had gone through a series of _explosions_ together, was pretty lucky.

They had only received a collection of cuts, bruises and few new nightmares to go along with them.

Dipper had been the only one to suffer an injury that required stitches. And Dipper was _not_ a fan of stitches. It seemed like any time he got stitches, they would always wind up popping. Or tearing. It didn't help that he had a twin sister with a short memory and a deep love of 'surprises'. Nor did it help that he could be very clumsy sometimes.

In fact, his own clumsiness was the cause of the majority of the scars he had gotten over the years. Maybe even more than the whole 'monster chasing' thing.

Each one had its own story. There were the ones he had gotten while trying to impress a girl- five in total. Then there were the ones he had gotten from angry pixies. Seven in total. They were some _very_ angry pixies.

Then there was the one he had gotten when he tried to talk to a cheerleader back in Piedmont. And the one he had gotten when his science experiment exploded during chemistry class. And that tiny scar he had on his index finger after that battle with the haunted wood-chipper. In hindsight, he had gotten pretty lucky with that one.

There was also a small collection of bites, scratches and burn marks. Most of them were from monsters- although he did once fall into a barbecue. Most of them were barely visible, and they were scattered all over. Only one of the scars was glaringly obvious. It was on his chest. Right over his heart.

Dipper preferred not to think about that one. That one... Had some bad memories attached to it.

He shook his head, and frowned. "Where _is_ she? She's never been late before..." he muttered. He checked his wristwatch, and blinked. There was a long crack in the glass, running from one side to the other. 'How did I miss that?' he thought, as he brought the wristwatch close to his ear.

It wasn't ticking. His frown deepened.

It was an old fashioned looking watch. With an old leather strap, and a dull silver base. The numbers were in roman numerals, and they were all a little faded. The long silver hand of the clock had stopped between three and four, and the shorter golden hand had stopped just below the number ten.

Dipper stared at it for a moment. "So... It stopped at about 3:50... Wait- I don't... I don't think it was that late when Grenda went all plant-crazy... In fact, even the explosions probably didn't go off until just after lunch... So why did it stop a few hours later? Or... Did it stop in the morning?" he muttered.

There were three winders on the side of the watch, side by side. Dipper tried fiddling with them- but to no avail. Finally, he let out a defeated sigh and sank in his chair. That watch had been a gift from someone important. And now, it was broken. He sighed, and rubbed his forehead. "Such an _idiot_..." he muttered. "Can't I go one week without _breaking_ something?"

"Dipper?"

At the sound of the nurses voice, Dipper reacted in the most calm and collected manner possible.

"Nurse Sally!" he squeaked, as he practically leapt out of the chair. Unfortunately, one of the legs of the chair got in the way. And before he knew it, he had fallen flat on his face. There was a sudden burst of pain, as blood began to trickle down his face. Dipper grimaced.

He had popped his stitches.

"Oh, no! You're leaking!" exclaimed the nurse.

Dipper groaned, as he scraped himself off of the floor. The nurse guided him to one of the hospital beds, while Dipper cursed himself with every word he knew. It had taken him less than ten seconds to embarrass himself in front of her. And that wasn't even a record for him.

He sat down on the bed, as the nurse carefully cleaned up his face with a series of cotton-balls.

Her name was Sally. She was a young, soft spoken woman, with long reddish-brown hair. Every time he had seen her, she was always wearing the same clothes.A long white lab coat that seemed to have been stitched together with a variety of older lab coats. And a dress underneath it, that also seemed to have been the result of sewing together some patches of material. All of the patches were varying shades of brown.

Whenever he had come to visit the nurses station, he would always find her knitting something. Sometimes it was a scarf, and sometimes it was another odd looking teddy bear for the collection she had sitting all over the front desk. They all had bizarre patterns of stitching, especially across their faces.

Sitting in the waiting area could be very unsettling with the army Frankenstein bears staring at you with their cold black button-eyes. Some of them only had stitches in the shape of 'X's as eyes. Which made the staring seem even creepier.

Sally herself was covered in many of the same stitches. And Dipper couldn't help but wonder if her apparent love of sewing was somehow connected to that. She had stitches on her hands, her legs and all over her face. There were stitches running across her eyebrows, and stitches stretching from the corners of her mouth, across her cheeks. There were several other patches of stitches on her face, and even a few stitches than ran right around her neck.

Even her fingertips had stitches on them. They probably ran all over her body.

All the stitches, along with the grey hue of her skin made her almost resemble a zombie. But there were several big differences. And the first, and the most important- were her eyes.

They were always so... comforting. And brimming with genuine concern. Dipper had seen people put on masks before. But there was something about her that seemed truly sincere. And that, combined with her soft voice and her somewhat timid personality, were all reasons for Dipper to come to the conclusion that she definately wasn't a zombie.

But she was definitely _something_ , though. That would be hard to dispute. Especially since she had a habit of referring Dipper and everybody else as 'humans'. And she seemed to be constantly going to her 'Human Medicine 4 Dummies' book for medical advice.

But despite the fact that she seemed so... 'paranormal', Dipper still couldn't find it in his heart to try investigating her. It wouldn't have been the first time he had been wrong about something like that- and the very last thing he wanted to do was say something stupid, and hurt her feelings. Although considering his track record with females- that seemed like something of an inevitability.

Dipper winced, as Sally dabbed at the line of stitches running down the side of his forehead. "I'm sorry... Unfortunately, this is the only way to stop something called 'infection'." she said. After a few more dabs with the cottenball, she gently placed it down on the bed next to him, and rummaged through the first aid kit. After a few quiet seconds, she produced a pair of tweezers, and long pair of scissors.

"You only broke two of them... I should be able to replace them." she said. Dipper gave her a small nod.

Sally pulled out some of the threads still in Dippers skin, and then replaced the broken stitches with new ones. With that done, she carefully placed the first aid kit back in the enormous glass cabinet.

"I'm sorry I was late, Dipper..." she said. "I was trying to help a friend of mine... Have you been doing well?"

Dipper sighed. "I guess so..." he muttered.

Sally smiled at him. "That is good to hear, Dipper. And how is everyone else?" she asked.

"Fine, I guess..." he muttered.

The school had given them all a week off of school to rest and recuperate after the 'accident'. Apparently, they were blaming it on a gas leak. Dipper had been through it all before. Whenever he stumbled onto some kind of dark secret, there was always somebody there to cover it up. Not that it ever got any less frustrating.

The truth would come out eventually- he would make sure of that. But for now, it seemed like he would have to quietly record everything he could in his journal, and try to lay low for a while. The last thing he wanted was to get himself expelled during his first week at a new school. Specially if it meant bringing everyone else down along with him.

Still- it went against his nature not to at least do some more investigating. Unfortunately, he had been given a pile of schoolwork to keep him busy.

"Dipper?" asked Sally. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

Dipper blinked. "Huh? Oh... Uh, no... No, there's nothing wrong. I just... I haven't been getting enough sleep lately, I guess. I've been busy with schoolwork... and stuff..." he muttered.

Sally gave him a concerned look. Her eyes were different colors, one blue and the other green. "Dipper... You must get some rest if you want to 'heal' properly... I've read that humans do that much better when they get their rest." she said.

"I know... But between the journal and... the nightmares..." muttered Dipper.

Sally tilted her head, and looked curious.

Dipper winced. He hadn't meant to let that slip out. He cleared his throat, and tried to think of a neat, subversive way to change the subject. "So, uh- What's with all your stitches?" he suddenly blurted. Dipper winced, and groaned.' _Stupid_!' he thought to himself.

"I was born with most of them..." said Sally, as she ran her hand down a line of stitches that ran from below her eye, down to her chin. "But unfortunately... I went on to make a few of them myself... My father once called me a... 'blunderer'." she said.

Dipper frowned. "That's not true... You've done a really good job with my friends and I." he said.

Sally gave him a soft smile. "Thank you, Dipper." she said. There was a short period of silence between the two of them, before Sally made her way over to the glass cabinet, and pulled out what looked like a cookie least- going by the words 'Cookie Jar' that were printed on it. She carefully removed the lid, and put her hand inside. After fiddling around a bit, she finally pulled out a single, big cookie.

"Here. Have one." she said with a smile. "I baked them myself."

Dipper took the cookie from her hand, and blinked at it. The cookie had was appeared to be a big hairy spider sprawled across one side of it. It didn't appear to be moving- but it did seem firmly attached.

"Is that... Is that a _tarantula_?" asked Dipper.

Sally nodded, proudly. "I also used flies for the 'chocolate chips'." she said.

Dipper grimaced. "Uh... Thanks, Nurse Sally..." he muttered.

Sally smiled at him. "I think that as long as you get some more rest... You should be okay. And if you ever have any problems... Feel free to come visit." she said.

Dipper gave her a weak nod, as he slid off of the bed. "Th-... Thanks again, Nurse Sally. For everything." he said.

"You are welcome, Dipper."

Dipper walked over to the doorway and waved goodbye for just a little too long, before making his hasty retreat.

It was time to stop embarrassing himself in front of girls, and go back to work on his journal. He took a deep breath. As long as there was nothing there to distract him, he was sure that he could get his journal entry about the Green House finished. And then he'd finally be able to get started on the schoolwork that was starting to pile up at the foot of his bed.

As long as there were _no_ distractions.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper grimaced as soon as he walked into his room.

Pacifica was standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by mountains of fancy looking dresses. She looked nervous. Every now and again, she would pick up a dress, study it for a moment, then make a noise and throw it behind her. She growled to herself as she waded through the flood of dresses.

Dipper stood by the entrance for a while, watching Pacifica hurriedly go from one dress to another. Dipper closed the door as queitly as he could, and crept around the mine-field of scattered dresses. All he needed to do was reach his bed. His journal was kept safe underneath his pillow. All he needed to do was grab it, and then make a hasty retreat.

All he wanted to do was work on his journal in peace. He took a deep breath, as he made his way closer and closer to his bed.

"Dipper!?"

Dipper flinched at the sound of her voice, and slipped on one of the dresses. This time however, he fell backwards. He groaned in pain, as he slowly scooped himself back to his feet. That was the _second_ pratfall he had taken in front of a girl that day. And sadly, that wasn't even a record for him.

Pacifica took a few steps closer to him, and watched him dust himself off. Once she was satisfied that he hadn't hurt himself, she put her hands on her hips and frowned.

"Didn't I tell you to _knock_?" she growled.

Dipper sighed. "I _did_ knock. Apparently you couldn't hear me because you were doing all..." he gestured towards the pile of dresses, " _Fashion-crazy_. Why do even have all of these things, anyway? You're never gonna use them all." said Dipper.

"I already _have_ 'used' them all. That's the problem- I need something new... Or at least something that _looks_ new..." muttered Pacifica, as she went back to pawing through her clothes. "I've got to find the perfect outfit for tonight's big dance... Figuring out what you're going to wear is almost as important as who you go with."

Dipper twitched. "Oh, no... Not a dance. Are you kidding me? Don't schools have anything better to do than go around forcing their students into uncomfortable clothes just for the honor of swaying along to terrible music in a dark, stuffy room?" he asked.

"I... I think your missing the point." said Pacifica.

"There _is_ no point to these things, Pacifica! Dance's are just another one of those dumb harassments that schools always seem to be dumping onto their students. Like _gym_." he grimaced at the mere mention of the 'G' word, but quickly shook it off. "There's no way in Hellscape I'm going to another dance. Not in this lifetime."

Pacifica frowned. "Well maybe getting out and being a little _social_ every now and again would do you some good." she said. Her features suddenly softened as a spark of curiosity lit up in her eyes. "... What's a _Hellscape_?" she asked.

"Oh, it's just this realm of infinite pain and misery. Like 'Hell', I geuss, but it's got the word 'scape' attached. I guess it makes it sound cooler or something..." said Dipper.

Pacifica thought for a moment. "I see..." she muttered.

There were a few seconds of silence, as Dipper and Pacifica just stood there. Finally, Dipper sat down on his bed, and retrieved his journal. He flipped through the pages for a while, as he pulled a pen out of his pocket. He chewed on one end of it, as he continued to flip through the pages, stopping only occasionally to scribble something on the page.

Pacifica bit her lip, and glanced at her own bed.

It was covered in a vast array of extremely expensive dresses. That had been her 'maybe' pile. She had been sifting through her entire wardrobe since breakfast, searching desperately for the dress that just... Felt right. Unfortunately, she still hadn't found it. And it seemed like no matter how much she searched, she would never find what she was looking for.

She sighed, and collapsed onto her bed. She winced, as she rolled over on her back. Her ribs were still sore from the Green House Incident. She pulled her bra up, and winced again. It kept digging into some of the bruises on her ribs. 'I better not wear anything with a corset, either...' she thought.

She sighed again.

A part of her wanted to simply blow off the big Valentines Day dance, and spend the night taking a mineral bath or something. Or maybe even studying. She would be better than dressing herself up just to spend the night pretending to flirt with a group of rich boys.

But, she had to. A big part of being a Northwest was doing something called 'networking'. Wherein rich people gather, and try to gain each others trust. And eventually, build business partnerships with each other. Once they had struck a deal, they would try to pull as much money out of each other as possible, until there was only one left standing.

Being rich- and more importantly, _staying_ rich, meant being a cutthroat. Ready to use and abandon people at the drop of a hat. At least- that was what it meant for the Northwests. And Pacifica had been taught the ins and outs of their little 'strategies' for as long as she could remember. And she had also been forced into attending 'parties' for as long as she could remember. Always stuffed into some uncomfortable dress, and used to soften up some of the richer folk. Whether that meant just being a nice little girl- or being 'friends' with their horrible little children. Or grandchildren.

Pacifica had always obeyed her father. Thanks in large part to some 'obedience therapy' that was never anything more than unpleasant. They usually took the form of hypnotism therapy. And as a result, she still couldn't hear the sound of a bell without flinching.

And if she failed to go to the dance, or if she did something that could be considered 'rude' to the children of his precious business partners, there was a good chance that she would get sent back to an 'obedience therapist'. Or worse- she could find herself enrolled in Saint Olga's Reform School for Wayward Heiresses.

Pacifica shuddered at the thought. She had heard stories about that place.

Awful stories.

She sighed. And, as if she didn't already have enough to deal with- there was also _that_. She shifted her gaze towards her pillow, and sighed again.

It had been delivered to her just yesterday. A box of 'William Wonkenshire' brand chocolates. The most expensive kind of chocolate in the entire world. And it had come with a note.

'Dear Pacifica,

Please share these with your Valentine. I hope you have a good time with whoever you choose.

Love, Mother.'

It was strange to say the least. The only time either of her parents ever sent anything to the school was on her birthday. Stranger still, it was from her Mother. Usually, things like that would be signed by both her parents. And they usually signed with their full names. Still- she recognized the handwriting anywhere. So fancy as to be near illegible. It definitely from her mother.

Pacifica moved across the bed, and carefully lifted up her pillow. Doing her best to make sure that Dipper didn't notice.

The box was golden, with the words 'William Wonkenshire' scrawled across the lid in silver. There was a big pink ribbon tied over it, making it impossible to open it for a peek inside. William Wonkenshire was a legendary figure in the world of chocolate. And even the richest people in the world could go their whole lives without ever attaining a single box.

Whoever she gave them too- it would be a big deal. She grimaced, as she imagined what the creepy reporter boy would do if he found out she even _had_ them. There would be a massive uproar. And if she _did_ give them to someone, it would be impossible to avoid the implications.

Pacifica carefully lowered her pillow, and sat up on the bed.

The words from the letter ran through her mind once again.

'Please share these with your Valentine.'

She frowned. The way she had phrased that... It was almost as if she had some kind of choice in the matter. As if she was being given permission to give them to whoever she wanted- and not just some rich kid that her family was trying to suck up too.

And if that was true...

She glanced at Dipper. And then, just as quickly, looked away.

She shook her head.

 _That_ would be crazy. And the consequences would be nothing less than catastrophic.

She took a deep breath, and frowned. 'Then... What am I supposed to _do_ with these things?' she thought.

"Something wrong, Pacifica?" asked Dipper.

Pacifica flinched at the sound of the voice. "Uh-... No... No, not really." she muttered. Dipper moved his gaze up from his journal just long enough to shoot her an inquisitive look. Then, he began to rifle through the pockets on his trench coat. Eventually, he produced a pair of glasses, and quietly slid them on his face. With that, he shifted his attention back to his journal.

This time, Pacifica was the one looking inquisitive.

"Hey... Do you... Do you really need to wear those? You didn't have them on all morning..." said Pacifica. Dipper didn't look up from his journal as he spoke. "I wear them whenever it's necessary... But if your asking if I need them to see- then not really, no." he said.

Pacifica raised an eyebrow. "Well then- Why do you wear them at all? You're... You're not trying to make some kinda fashion statement are you? I hate to tell you- But 'nerd chic' isn't really a thing." she said.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Trust me- I would never wear these for _fashion_. They just... They help me see things a little clearer sometimes." he said.

"What? So they're just glasses?"

"No, I mean... They help me see things that would be invisible certain kinds of spirits, or special kinds of ink."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really."

"Who gave you them?"

"I... They were a gift."

"From who?"

"It... It doesn't matter."

Pacifica opened her mouth to say something else, when Dipper suddenly sprang to his glanced at his watch, and let out a fake gasp. "Wow- Would you look at that! Lunch already. Well- I'm gonna go. See you later, Pacifica!" he said, as he made a beeline for the door.

Pacifica watched him leave with a raised eyebrow. 'What is he trying to hide?' she thought. She sighed, and shook her head. It _was_ getting close to lunch time. 'Maybe I need to take a break... I can worry about dresses and chocolates a little later...' she thought. She nodded to herself.

After going into the bathroom to double check her hair and makeup, she left the room.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten that it was Valentines Day. And no-one was going to let her forget it.

Not for a second.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

"Oh, Va-len-tines, oh, Va-len-tines

How super awe-some are you?

Oh, Va-len-tines, oh, Va-len-tines

Give me lots of choco-lates."

Dipper stared at Mabel, Grenda and Candy with a blank face, as they continued to sing in unison.

"When lot's of love, is in the air

We give cards, to show we care

Oh, Val-len-tines, oh, Va-len-tines

How super awe-some are you?"

Dipper sighed. "You know, I'm pretty sure Christmas is the only holiday that has _carols_." he said.

Mabel gasped. "That's not true! There's lot's of carols for all the holidays! We could show you the one for Halloween too- but we don't have the electric guitars..." she explained.

Candy raised her hand. "Why don't we try _air_ electric guitars?" she asked.

Mabel grinned. "Great idea, Candy! That's why you're the _smart_ one!" she exclaimed.

Grenda frowned. "Well, what am I?" she asked.

Mabel turned to face her. "Well you're the _cool_ one, Grenda. Obviously." she said.

"Really? Cool!" said Grenda, as she suddenly produced a pair of sunglasses- seemingly out of nowhere. She slid them on her face, and crossed her arms over her chest. "I mean... _Coooool_." she said.

While the girls began singing their Halloween carol together, Dipper took another bite out of his sandwich. _Apparently_ , it was Valentines Day. At least, that's what all the signs that were plastered all over the dining hall seemed to claim. All the walls were decorated with heart shaped balloons, and almost all of the food was shaped like a love heart. There was pink stuff everywhere. Along with a distinct air of nervousness in the room.

Dipper had never been good at keeping track of the holidays. Mabel on the other hand, seemed to have a biological calendar for them. She always seemed to know when there was a holiday coming- even the less well-known ones like Leif Erikson Day and Leap Day. And naturally, she threw herself head first into every one. If it was St Patricks Day, she would come to school dressed as a leprechaun. And on Christmas, she would dress up as Santa Claus, a reindeer and a elf all at the same time.

But of all the holidays, Valentines Day seemed to be one of her favorites. After all, if there were two things in the world that Mabel truly loved, it was romance and chocolate. Putting them together was, to her at least, the best thing in the history of forever.

Naturally, Dipper felt almost the complete opposite of what his sister felt.

Valentines had never been a particularly fun experience for him. One of his worst memories had come out of Valentines Day. It had happened over a year after the summer at Gravity Falls. A girl had tricked him into thinking that he had a secret admirer on Valentines Day.

If he lived a slightly more average life, it would have turned out to have just been a mean spirited prank. Instead, it turned out that the girl was some kind of succubus. Bent on breaking his heart.

Literally.

Dipper winced, and rubbed the scar on his chest. She had almost succeeded, too. For once, he was thankful for Mabels intrusive curiosity. If she hadn't followed him that night...

He shook his head.

He had had more than a few near-death experiences in the past. In fact, he had another one just a few days ago. But there was something particularly bad about that one. He had known that girl for quite a while. And when she had revealed herself, a part of him was ready to accept her. And then, she tried to rip his heart out of his chest.

He had labelled her species as 'Heartbreaker' in his journal. And he secretly hoped that he would never come across another one. Or the _same_ one. She had flown off when Mabel interrupted her little 'ceremony', and the next day she had mysteriously 'transferred' out of their school.

She was still out there somewhere... And when the day finally came when he crossed paths with her... He wasn't sure how he would deal with it. Before the 'incident', she had been his _friend_.

Dipper shook his head. He didn't want to think about it anymore. So, he turned his attention back to his heart shaped sandwich.

Mabel, Candy and Grenda meanwhile, having finished their respective air-guitar solo's, were in the midst of conversation.

"So, girls- have you got your Valentines all picked out for the big dance tonight?" asked Mabel.

Grenda shrugged. "I don't know... All the boys here are total losers!" she exclaimed.

"I have a few in mind..." said Candy. "But it is hard to just pick _one_..."

Mabel nodded. "Tell me about it. I mean- There's Mr Valvatorez, and Mr Lovecraft, oh! And the music teacher! Have you seen him? He's a total dreamboat! Yep! A boat of dreams!"

Grenda gasped. "You didn't tell me we could include the teachers!" she exclaimed.

Mabel grinned. "Well, sure! Love's for everybody on Valentines day!"

Grenda thought for a moment. "Well... How about Mr Myers?" she asked.

"Who?" asked Mabel.

"He is the school janitor. The strong silent type." explained Candy, as Grenda gave a heavy sigh. "Yeah... He's such a good listener. Yesterday, I talked to him for four hours, and he didn't say a word! He didn't even blink! Totally my type. He's not all needy like _some_ people." said Grenda.

It was a quiet understanding between Candy and Mabel that she was talking about Marius von Fundshauser- her on again off again boyfriend. Apparently, they were 'off again'. But given their track record, it was probably only a matter of time until they were 'on again'.

"Well... I was thinking about the gardener... Have you seen him, Mabel?" asked

Grenda shuddered. "You know, I used to like him too- but for some reason, now when I see him pruning plants and stuff... It kinda makes me all flinchy." she said, as she poured herself a glass of water. "Maybe it's related to that whole 'turning into a plant-monster' thing..." she said. She downed the glass of water in one gulp, and let out a satified sigh. "But probably not..." she added.

Mabel shook her head. "No, I haven't seen him... What's his name? Is it just 'Gardener'?" she asked.

Candy shook her head. "Nu-uh... His name is Edward. He is sooo _dreamy_." she said with a sigh. "He uses these odd tools on his hands to trim the hedges and stuff... There kinda like a bunch of big scissors."

Grenda flinched. "Ugh... Those poor lil' hedges..." she muttered.

"What about you, Dipper? Do you have somebody special for Valentines Day?" asked Candy. The smile on Mabels face quickly faded, as her eyes filled with concern. "Uh-..." she muttered. Before she could say anything to help him avoid the question, Dipper interjected.

"No. I don't." he said. His voice sounded normal. Even bored. But Mabel had already noticed him flinch a little at the question. She bit her lip. Although she loved her brother with all her heart, sometimes... She could be a forgetful. And sometimes, that made her come off as some-what insensitive. She didn't _mean_ to be. It would just kind of _happen_.

'I forgot all about _her_...' she thought. 'I-... I'm sorry, Dipper. Here I am all excited about Valentines Day... And... You're probably remembering that whole... _Thing_. '

Mabel thought for a moment, and nodded to herself. 'You know what? I'm going to dedicate myself to finding you a brand new Valentine! You'll forget all about what's her face! I _promise_.' she thought.

Dipper glanced at her, and grimaced. He could tell what she was planning in an instant. 'Please _don't_.' he thought.

'Uh-uh, Dipper! You're gonna learn the true meaning of Valentines Day! Finding _love_!' thought Mabel.

Dipper grimaced some more.

Meanwhile, Candy and Grenda were watching them, looking semi-confused. "Are they reading each others minds?" asked Grenda.

Candy shrugged. "Well... They _are_ siblings." she said.

While Dipper began to feel a deep sense of dread for what was in store for him that night, Pacifica was feeling the very same kind of dread- as everyone in the VIP section of the dining hall seemed to be staring at her all at once. Many of the boys were holding heart shaped cards- many of them gold. As Pacifica sat down in her usual spot next to Hershey Befufftlefumpter, she did her best to ignore the attention.

"Oh, Heya Northwest." said Hershey, as she prodded at her bowl of salad with a fork. "Did you notice? No flashy entrance from Miss Sweetie. I hear she's busy cookin' up the big Valentines feast for the party tonight. It's gunna be a big one."

Pacifica nodded blankly, as she slowly filled her plate with a few pieces of the extremely expensive food that was spread across the table.

"I gotta pretty big haul this year. Probably 'cuz I've got dirt on pretty much all the guys here. Some of the girls, too.I might've considered _bathing_ in all that chocolate... Of course- that'd be _terrible_ for my skin." continued Hershey. "Have you figured out who you're takin' to the big dance tonight, Northwest? I was thinkin' set up a little contest and bring the winner. I'm thinkin' it'll be a 'who can give me the most stuff?' contest."

Pacifica shook her head slowly. "No... No, I haven't decided on anyone..." she muttered.

Hershey raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? You know I couldn't help but notice that you've been starin' off over at the peasant table recently... Could it be that some low-class boy has captured your eye?" she asked.

Pacifica choked on her food, and she almost fell out of her chair as she coughed and sputtered. Finally, she managed to regain her composure. She cleared her throat. "Not at all. Hershey." she said.

Hershey rolled her eyes. "You're gonna have to do better than that, Northwest." she said.

Pacifica took a deep breath. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Whatever you say, Northwest. I don't really care anyway. Now let's get back to talking about what's really important. _Me_."  
said Hershey. She quickly launched into another tirade about school work being boring, and how she planned to rule over the land with an iron fist when she graduated.

While Hershey continued to speak to no one in particular, Pacifica went back to quietly eating her lunch.

And then, a cold chill ran down her spine.

"Heya, Northwest. Fancy meetin' _you_ here."

Pacifica grimaced. The owner of the voice was unmistakable.

Jigg Saw, self proclaimed 'Ace Reporter' and the creator of the most popular gossip newspaper in the entire school, 'The Jigg Chronicles'. Naturally, it was also the _only_ gossip newspaper in the school.

Jigg had a habit of sleuthing around the VIP section, hoping to catch as many traces of gossip as he could before he was thrown out. And ever since the Green House Incident, he had been bothering Pacifica almost exclusively. Usually it was to ask her some deeply personal questions- but most of the time, it just seemed like he was trying to _annoy_ her.

And it was working.

Pacifica had dealt with press for as long as she could remember. Usually it was just the local news station in Gravity Falls. But sometimes she would follow her parents to some event that would be swarming with microphones and cameras. It wasn't that she had _problem_ with the press. In fact, sometimes she even enjoyed the attention.

But Jigg's reporting style felt more like stalking than journalism. He had a reputation for digging up people's deepest, darkest secrets and using his newspaper to spread them far and wide. Because of that, he was one of the most feared and hated people in the school.

Pacifica took a deep breath, and tried to ignore him.

"So, listen to this dollface- It's the big Valentines Day Dance tonight. And did ya hear who they put in charge of the thing? Well apparently the music teacher went and volunteered himself! Looks like he's got a real thing for holidays." said Jigg. "Which reminds me- it looks like you still haven't picked yourself out a boy! What a shame. Pretty lil' thing like you... Maybe you're _waitin_ ' for someone? Hmm?"

Pacifica grit her teeth. "Go back to the circus, you twisted _freak_." she growled.

Jigg chuckled. "Oh, you've gotta love the one's with _fire_. But listen dollface- you don't want me to leave. I haven't given you my little _present_ yet." he said. Before Pacifica had the chance to respond, Jigg produced a small yellow envelope from his jacket pocket. "Your family... They're not a very _kind_ bunch, are they? Not very _loyal_ either." said Jigg, as he carefully set the envelope down on the table.

"Now, I've seen you _claim_ to be smart one, dollface. Even though we all know that you could never have done so well on your tests if it weren't for that army of tutors. But... Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you can figure out what inside this envelope all... by... your... _self_." Jigg drew his face closer and closer as he spoke. Pacifica could feel her heart start to sink with every word he spoke.

She picked up the envelope, and held it in her hands. There was an almost infinite number of things that could be in that envelope. All she knew, was that it had to be bad. _Very_ bad.

Jigg stared at the look on Pacifica's face, and nodded slowly."Oh, it's bad. Very bad. Of course ' _bad_ ' is subjective. What's bad for _you_ can be _very_ good for me." he said.

Pacifica grit her teeth. She sent him a glare- and then ripped the envelope in half. A small USB device fell onto the table.

"You can keep that one. Don't worry- I've got plenty of spares. Now, would you like to go find yourself a laptop, or should I just tell you what's on it myself?" he asked.

Pacifica didn't say anything.

"You see, lil' Northwest... Your family is dirty. Absolutely _filthy_. And if someone were to give even a portion of what's on there to the police, or the FBI... Well, there won't be enough money in the world to stop your whole world from crashing down all around you..." said Jigg. His voice sounded calm. Even somewhat entertained.

Pacifica felt her fists clench, as he drew his mouth up to her ear.

"But... That's not going to happen, will it? Because you'll do what your told. I'm sure of it. After all... I know a fellow _puppet_ when I see one." he whispered. Jigg chuckled to himself, as he slowly moved away from her ear.

"Now, listen... We've only got one little request. Okay? All you need to do is go talk to a boy named 'Dipper Pines'. You might've _heard_ of him..." Jigg trailed off to watch Pacifica's reaction. When she gave him nothing, he shrugged and moved on. "Just keep him away from the Ball Room tonight. He's such an introverted little guy... I'm sure he'd love any excuse you could give him not to go to the big 'Valentines Day Dance'. Don't you think?"

Pacifica kept her eyes trained on the USB as she spoke. "...Then what?" she muttered.

"Oh, everything'll work out. I assure you. All you need to worry your pretty little head about, is keeping him nice and far away." said Jigg. "Well- That was fun. Now, I've only got one last thing to do."

Jigg brushed down his uniform with his gloved hands, and then he ran them through his hair. His wild black hair popped straight back up- frizzier than ever. Then he stepped up onto a seat, and then onto the table. Almost immediately, everyone in the VIP section turned to face him, as he walked to the centre of the table. Doing his best to avoid the food that spread out all over the place.

Then, he reached behind his back, and pulled out a megaphone. Seemingly out of nowhere. He cleared his throat, and turned on the megaphone.

A high-pitched whine pierced through the air. Cutting through all of the noise and the chatter. Everyone in the dining room slowly turned to face him.

"Hello there everyone! I am Jigg- Ace Reporter! Lovely to see you all enjoying your lunch on this most special of occasions- Valentines Day!" he announced. Everyone in the dining room stared at him with blank, empty expressions.

Jigg continued.

"Well, it just so happens that there's a little treat in store for all the people here. You see, there's a very special person who appreciates each and every one of you. And so- he decided... Why not give everybody a big ol' Valentines? And so, here it is... The most expensive Valentines in the entire world!"

Suddenly, there was a loud 'BANG!'. And small boxes began to float down from the ceiling. Each one attatched to a parachute shaped like a big pink love-heart. Each box fell on to peoples laps, or on their heads. Pacifica noticed one land on the table in front of her.

She frowned.

The box was silver. With the words 'William Wonkenshire' scrawled across in gold. Beneath it, were the words 'To Pacifica Northwest, From your Lil' Ol' Cupid'. There were gasps erupting from all around the dining hall, especially in the VIP area. Everybody had heard the legends of William Wonkenshire chocolate. Some of them had even thought that it was only a myth.

And here it was. A little box of the best chocolates in the world.

Some of the girls were fainting and squealing. And some of the guys were drooling and squealing. The rest simply looked curious.

"The Lil' Ol' Cupid hopes to see you tonight, at the big Valentines Day Dance. Come one, come all! It's going to be a party of epic proportions!" yelled Jigg.

The entire dining room erupted with applause. Even cheers.

Jigg stepped off of the table, and brushed himself off. "Alrighty then. Well, I guess that's just about everything... Just remember to keep Mister Pines away from the balll room when the time comes, alright dollface? Super." he said. He took a step forward- only to be blocked by a tall, muscle-bound man who was covered in tattoos.

The Bouncer crossed his arms, and frowned. "I thought I told you last time... Stay out of the VIP area." he growled.

Jigg cleared his throat. If it were possible, he probably would have begun to sweat. "...Uh... Heh- But, I was asked to make a big announcement. Y-... You know what life as a puppet-slave is like... Just do what you're told, right? Come on- I was _just_ leaving..." he muttered.

The Bouncer nodded. "Yes. You are." he growled. With that, the Bouncer picked up Jigg- and threw him across the room. There was a loud 'crash!' from wherever he landed- followed by a string of curses.

The Bouncer looked at Pacifica. "You okay, Miss?" he asked.

Pacifica kept staring at the USB. Finally, she picked it up, and took a deep breath. "Y-... Yeah. Thank you..." she muttered. The Bouncer gave her a short nod, before returning to his post at the entrance to the VIP section.

Pacifica held the USB against her chest, and took a deep breath. Jiggs words were still ringing in her ears.

 _"There won't be enough money in the world to stop your whole world from crashing down all around you..."_

She bit her lip. She couldn't even begin to imagine what could be on the USB in her hands. She knew some of her families secrets- but not _all_ of them. Her grip on the USB began to tighten.

If it was big enough scandal... Then the Northwest name would become poison. People would sever their ties with them in massive numbers- until they were all alone. The money would dry up, and they would have nowhere to go. And there was also the chance that they could both end up in jail... Leaving her all alone.

She began to tremble.

All she had to do was keep him away from the dance. He didn't even want to go to it in the first place- so it wasn't like she was forcing him to do anything he didn't want to. All she would have to do is take him to the library... Or maybe watch movies with him on her laptop.

In fact... It could even be kind of... fun.

Pacifica took a deep breath, and glanced over at the spot where she had seen him last. He was sitting with Mabel, Grenda and Candy at the other side of the room. It was almost hard to see him far away- but he was the only one wearing a trench coat in a sea of uniforms.

Pacifica stared at him for a then, back at the USB.

It was then that she decided what she had to do.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

( **AN** : As usual, I really appreciate any and all reviews I receive. I've decided to stop responding to them under the chapter, just 'cuz most of the chapter tend to be long enough already. I'll respond through PM's instead. Until next time, thanks for reading and have a good day!)


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: The Nightmare of Valentines, Part Two

When Gideon Gleeful first arrived at the gates of Lovecraft Boarding School, he was ready for a fresh start. A new beginning. And another opportunity to become the most popular boy around. Even if it was just a school, and not something impressive like an entire town. Or a prison.

Sometimes you had to start small. He knew that. And, naturally- he had a plan. And this time, there would be no nosy little wannabe detectives to get in his way. No one-eyed inter-dimensional demons either.

He hoped.

As the gates opened in front of him, Gideon picked up his over-stuffed suitcase and made his way along the pathway towards the building looming overhead. As he walked, he began to go through the many plans that he had hatched during the long bus ride he had taken to get there. As he went through them, he couldn't help but smirk at the genius of his own intellect.

And then, he began to chuckle. Maniacally. And rub his hands together. Also maniacally. Luckily for him, none of that could be considered particularly strange behaviour at Lovecraft Boarding School. So when he came through the door cackling like a cartoon supervillain, nobody batted an eye.

It didn't take long for Gideon to get settled. His time in prison had really helped him to learn how to adapt to any situation. And it took him remarkably little time to garner some measure of popularity among both the students, and the faculty. All it took was some sweet talking, maybe a folk-song or two, and a few 'psychic readings'.

They ate it up. And by the end of his first week at the school, there would be an enormous crowd around him in the cafeteria, just to watch his little show. It wasn't long before he was able to start selling tickets, and only a short while after that he managed to set up a big tent outside, reserved just for his performances. Finally, he was back in his element.

But one day, he began to notice something. Every time he put on a show, the students on one side of the cafeteria would always stay behind.

They were the rich kids. Everybody who could afford to go to Lovecraft Boarding School was rich on some level- but these kids were in a whole other league. They were the VIPs. And no matter what he did, no matter how much effort and showmanship he threw onto the stage, they wouldn't move from their little roped off section of the cafeteria during lunch break. Not for him- and not for anything else, it seemed.

They would simply have their servants fetch anything they needed, and stay in their seats until class resumed. Discussing monocles, top-hats, and anything else they deemed 'fancy' enough to be worthy of their time.

At first, it didn't bother him. After all, he had to put on a show almost every day of the week now. He had more important things to deal with than a bunch of snobby rich kids. But as time went by, he began to catch them sneering at him in the cafeteria. And whispering about him during class. And laughing.

It began to grate on his nerves. And that was before the practical jokes started. Water bombs, spitballs- even the occasional 'kick me' sign. And whenever he tried to confront them- their personal body guards would make it clear that the rich kids were untouchable. Even by the power of the teachers.

Eventually, this lead to Gideon waging an all-out war against the 'VIPers'. Which eventually culminated in an epic food fight between Gideon's followers, and VIPer's.

After that, everything changed. The VIPer's brought their greatest weapons to the field.

Their lawyers.

It wasn't long before Gideon's daily show was cancelled, and Gideon's forces were all either suspended, or worse. It quickly became clear to everyone in the school that being anywhere close to Gideon Gleeful would result in an immediate reprisal from the rich kids.

And pretty soon, Gideon was all alone. The rich kids had taken everything from him. His show. His popularity. And even the people he once thought of as his allies.

He found himself completely isolated, everywhere he went.

And then, one of the rich kids took it a step further.

Maco Dralfoy was the type of person who should have only existed in cheesy high school movies. A typical arrogant rich-boy stereotype, all tied together with a thick english accent. He was the second richest kid in the entire school, but he always acted like he was number one.

But while he was only number two in over-all richness, he was number one in over-all meanness. He had a well-known habit of beating people up, and then paying the faculty to cover it up. There were rumors that he had once even sent someone to the hospital. And one day, Gideon became his newest victim.

Gideon, battered and bruised, found himself being thrown into a dumpster. After making some remark about Gideon being at home with all of the other trash, Maco closed the lid and walked off, chuckling to himself.

Gideon stared up at the lid for a while. He was in a lot of pain- but what was even worse, was the smell. He wanted to move- but it hurt.

It hurt _so_ much.

He could feel tears beginning to slide across his cheeks, as he held his hand out in front of him. There were flies crawling all over his freshly ironed uniform. Garbage in his hair.

And he was all alone. And there was nobody, nobody in the entire world, who would come looking for him.

He wanted to be angry. He wanted to scream, and shout, and begin planning a wildly elaborate revenge. He tried to clench his hand into a fist- to try and feel that familiar fire in his chest that demanded vengeance at all costs. But it wasn't there. He just felt... empty.

It was a few hours before he finally managed to sit up, and lift open the lid. The sun was setting in the hills, as he began to make his way out of the dumpster.

That was when he saw them.

Two pieces of old, yellowed paper. Both with a mess of black ink scribbled all over them. Despite his history of bad luck with mysterious looking pages, he slowly picked them up.

On one, was the word 'JIGG' in large, bold letters. Followed by what looked like a drawing of a puppet. The other was written in a language that Gideon couldn't recognize. Gideon stared at the odd symbols for a moment, and then he turned his attention back to the first one.

Suddenly, a soft voice began to fill the air.

'Lonely boy whose lost his way, do you wish for a friend this day? Summon the puppet, and all will be well.

All your enemies will burn in _hell_.

The puppet shall pave the way to power. A slave to you, until your final hour.

All of this for you and more. Ah- but I fear I'm being _such_ a snore.

Why not try it, and see for yourself? The puppet is yours, in sickness and health.'

Suddenly, the paper began to tremble. Gideon let out a frightened yelp, as the black ink suddenly exploded out of the page. He fell backwards, as the ink began to form a perfect sphere in the air. Slowly, the shape of a child began to fall out of the sphere. Still attached, by a series of long, black threads.

It looked like a marionette show, as it tumbled into the ground- only to be held up to its feet by the long black strings.

It was completely featureless. And it appeared to be made of wood. Gideon watch in silent horror, as clothes began to form over the it's body, and a pair of large twitchy eyes suddenly formed on the surface of its face.

It wasn't long before the puppet looked almost like a real boy. Aside from what looked like a few layers of clown makeup across its face.

The puppet boy slowly bowed. "Jigg Saw- At yer service." he said, before standing up straight. "There somethin' I can do for ya, tubby? Maybe throw you in a shower? You smell and look like a pig that's been rollin' in trash."

Gideon stared at him for a moment, and then slowly got to his feet. "You... You..." he muttered.

"Aw, what's wrong, tubster? You got the bacon-sweats or somethin'? Hey- it happens." said Jigg.

Gideon clenched his teeth. "Shut up!" he bellowed.

Jigg grinned. "Well, look at that. Looks like yer've got some of that fire still in ya after all." he said.

Gideon blinked. He looked at his hands.

They were balled into fists.

He stared at them for a moment. And then, he began to smile.

"So- you wanna do some complicated vengeance plannin'? I've got time." said Jigg.

Gideon slowly nodded. Nothing could've sounded better.

Time passed by pretty quickly after that. Jigg was a terrific servant- despite his habit of being unbearably annoying at all times. Gideon spent the next few weeks trying to translate the second page. While Jigg was sent out to make the rich kids lives as difficult as possible.

Eventually, he cracked it. And Gideon finally had a plan, to end all plans. A perfect mixture of vengeance, and the promise of eternal power.

And today was the day it would all come together.

This Valentine's Day was going to be the best he ever had.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

"I don't know what to do!" yelled Mabel.

Candy patted her on the shoulder. "There, there, Mabel. You are simply going through 'chocolate overload'. I know this feeling. It will pass." she said.

After lunch, Mabel, Grenda and Candy had retreated to their dorm room. Dipper had managed to escape amidst the crowd of students, despite Mabel's efforts to catch him and drag him back to the dorm room for a good ol' fashioned make over. Normally, it would've taken her just a few minutes to track him down- but Lovecraft Boarding School was both vast, and intricate. The place seemed to have been made out of a labyrinth of hallways, with a few enormous rooms scattered around in the maze.

Candy and Grenda had even told her stories about students who had gotten lost in the hallways, and were never seen again.

Finding Dipper was probably going to be close to impossible- especially if he was trying to avoid her. Mabel let out a defeated sigh, as she laid down on her bed.

Their dorm room was fairly big, with three beds sitting along the wall, side by side. At the foot of each bed there was an enormous trunk for their clothes, and the walls and the ceiling were all covered with hundreds of posters. From boy band posters, to the occasional movie poster.

There was a small set of draws between each bed, each one adorned with a reading lamp. Mabel had taken the bed in the middle, with Candy and Grenda on either side of her.

Mabel sat up and glanced at Candy. "I'm not worried about eating all that chocolate, Candy! That's like a Wednesday afternoon for me! Although it _was_ super awesome..." she muttered, as she glanced at the pile empty boxes of chocolate in the middle of the room. They were silver, with the words 'William Wonkenshire' scrawled across the front. They really _had_ been _amazing_...

Mabel shook her head to keep herself from being distracted with the chocolate-memories.

"I'm worried about Dipper!" she continued. "How am I supposed to find him a Valentines before the dance!?"

Candy adjusted her glasses. "Well... If he does not want to go... Then, I am not sure that _forcing_ him is such a good idea..." she said.

Mabel sighed. "It's not about forcing him... It's just... I want him to be able to enjoy Valentine's Day again! I mean... It's the holiday of _love_!" she said.

Grenda made a noise as she threw another empty box of chocolates onto the pile. She let out a satisfied sigh, as she carefully licked her fingers. Even a well-known chocolate snob like Grenda had to admit that the 'William Wonkenshire' stuff was nothing short of amazing. After wiping her mouth with her shirt, she turned to face Mabel.

"I don't know, Mabel... I kinda agree with Candy..." said Grenda. "Besides, who would you even set him up with? I'm pretty sure every girl in the school has already found a date."

Mabel stroked her chin in thought. "Hmm... Well, that might be true... But it also might be true that somewhere there's a lonely girl just _waiting_ for her match to be made!" she said.

Candy thought for a moment. "Well... What about Pacifica?" she asked.

Grenda shook her head. "Nu-uh. She's like one the most popular girls in school! She's probably got like a dozen dates by now." she said.

Mabel nodded slowly. "Yeah... It's kind of a shame... But- I'm sure there's someone out there! We just need to put our heads together and think!" she announced.

There was a long pause, as the three of them thought in silence. Finally, Candy spoke up. "Maybe we should go look around? And if we find somebody who seems right... Then maybe we can try and introduce her to Dipper and go from there..." she suggested.

Mabel grinned. "Great idea, Candy! Plus, I've been wanting to explore this place anyway- So it's like a win-win!" she said.

Grenda checked her watch. "Well... We still got like five hours until the party, so... Yeah! We should be able to find a date for Dipper by then! Right!?" she enthused.

"Yeah! And then Valentine's Day'll be _perfect_!" said Mabel.

The girls got to their feet. Candy cleaned her glasses with her skirt, while Grenda began to stretch and groan. Mabel could feel herself almost bouncing with excitement. The combination of having just eaten a box of the best chocolates she had ever had, and the prospect of playing matchmaker on Valentine's Day was starting to make her feel giddy.

She had always been a fan of playing 'Love God'. Of course- she had stopped using love potions and spells a long time ago. But not without making the same mistakes just a few more times back in Piedmont. Like the time she accidentally dropped a love charm into the sewers and wound up with an army of rats and sewer gators as her loving admirers. And the time she accidently made all of the residents of Piedmont fall in love with Steve.

Poor, _poor_ Steve...

He had been the best semi-tamed raccoon friend a girl could ask for. He'd stopped visiting their trash cans after the incident... She hoped he was doing well.

Mabel shook her head, to clear her mind of raccoon-thoughts. Right now, she had to have Matchmaker-thoughts.

She grinned. "Are you girls ready?" she asked.

"Yeah! And the sooner we find a girl for Dipper, the sooner I can find a date for myself!" bellowed Grenda. "Even though most of the good ones're probably taken by now- I'm sure I can find someone better than _Marius_."

"Ah- I have decided who I am going for already. I just need to give him a card." said Candy, as she flashed them a small pink envelope, before putting it back in her pocket.

Mabel smiled wide. "Candy! You _devil_ \- You figured out who you're going to ask? Who is it!?"

Candy blushed. "I... I will show you at the dance..." she muttered.

Mabel nodded. "Alright- New plan! First, we'll help Candy deliver her letter! Then- We'll try and find a date for Dipper! And last but not least- Grenda and I'll hunt down our dates! Sound good, everyone?" she asked.

Candy smiled a little, as she nodded. "Thank you Mabel..." she muttered.

"No problem! Leave it up to Mabel, the Queen of Love! Valentine's Day is going to be perfect! I promise!" announced Mabel.

As Mabel and the gang marched through the hallways, they ignored the way the eyes of the portraits would occasionally seem to be following them. Mabel had a mission. And she wasn't going to let anything distract her from it.

She smiled to herself.

'Just you wait Dipper... I'll help you forget all about _her_... I promise.' she thought.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper felt a cold chill run down his spine. He glanced over his shoulder, but there was no one there.

He took a deep breath, and sighed.

Part of him expected to find his sister bursting through the door with a hairbrush in one hand and mascara in the other. He shuddered again.

He knew that Mabel _meant_ well- but there was something about the idea of a 'makeover' that felt... Uncomfortable. Especially when it was being administered by his twin sister. He shuddered again. The last time she had given him a makeover, it had taken _months_ for him to get all of the glitter out of his hair. Plus, she had also tried something called 'eyelash curling' that was nothing short of nightmarish.

He took a deep breath, and then let it as a tired sigh. He had to hope that her 'Dipper-dar' wouldn't find him in the vast expanse of Lovecraft Boarding School. But, there was always a chance. So he had to remain vigilant.

He shook his head, and turned his attention back to the pile of books he had sitting in front of him.

Dipper was sitting at a desk in the school library. It was an enormous place, with what seemed like an infinite spiral of tall shelves, all filled with more books than Dipper had ever seen. They were all old, and the entire place was thick with the smell of dust. The room was almost pitch black, save for a few dull lights on the sides of every shelf. Some of them were broken- while others only seemed to give off a dull orange glow.

Dipper had to find a lamp and put it on the desk himself just so he could read properly. Luckily, there didn't seem to be anyone around who cared. In fact, it seemed as if there hadn't been anyone in the library in a _very_ long time. Even with the vast array of book shelves, the place still felt somehow... _empty_.

Every time he visited, it always felt the same. Quiet, and still. During the fairly short time he had spent in Lovecraft Boarding school, he had visited the library a few times, and he had still never seen any other students there. He was always alone.

With the exception of the first time he had entered the library that is. But that was just because Pacifica had been nice enough to show him where it was. He had been surprised at the time that she even knew where it was. And even more surprised when he watched her take down a few books and actually start reading them.

She was a little different from the Pacifica he remembered. Although not by much. But, she didn't seem to sneer quite as much anymore- and that was good enough for him. Being stuck in the same room as her hadn't been as much of a disaster as he had expected it to be. Not _yet_ , anyway.

He frowned. It was going to be a catastrophe when Mabel found out that he had been staying in the same room as her. There was no telling where her over-active imagination would lead her, but something told him that it wouldn't be good.

He rubbed his forehead. 'I'd really better hurry up and find another dorm room... Keeping secrets never works out.' he thought.

"Uh-huh. But you know, I think maybe you're just using that as an excuse to run away."

Dipper felt his chest suddenly tighten at the sound of the voice. His entire body seemed to suddenly freeze, as he felt heat begin to rise to his face. He gritted his teeth, and turned around slowly.

Wendy Corduroy was standing there, leaning on a book shelf. Looking just like he remembered her from his first visit to Gravity Falls.

She brushed her long red hair out of her face, and shot him a warm smile. Dipper winced, as he felt a sharp pain run through his chest.

"Hey there, Dipper. Been a while." she said.

Dipper took a deep breath, as his brain suddenly seemed to go blank. After a few minutes of awkward staring, he suddenly moved his hand to his face.

He was wearing his glasses.

He frowned slightly, as he gently pushed them up over his forehead. And just like that, she disappeared. Dipper then slid them back over his eyes.

And she appeared once more.

He grimaced. "Oh... It's _you_. The _not_ -Wendy." he muttered. "How many times have I told you to quit taking her form. If you're trying to play mind games with me, you're not going to win. I've dealt with a lot worse than _that_."

Wendy smiled. "First of all, I'm not here for mind games, Dipper. I'm here to try and point you in the right direction. That's all." she said.

Dippers frown deepened, as he watched her put her hands in her pockets as she leaned against the book case. She was chewing gum. Even blowing a bubble every now and again, all while staring off into the distance, looking bored.

Dipper took a deep breath, and shook his head. Whatever _it_ was- it was doing an incredible job of pretending to be Wendy. Her hair fell over her face the same way, and she had the same cool exterior that he remembered all too well. No matter how experienced he had become with the realms of dream manipulation and visions... There was always something about the not-Wendy that threw him off.

She was different from the Wendy that popped up occasionally in his dreams. The not-Wendy felt... _real_. And it always took him a few seconds to realize that it wasn't really her.

"... What do you mean?" he finally muttered, tearing his gaze away from her face.

Wendy shrugged. "Well, think of me as your kind of 'spirit guide'. You know how sometimes the protagonist gets helped along the way by some kinda mysterious voice? That's kinda my deal." she said.

"You weren't much help when I was fighting off an army of plant monsters." said Dipper.

Wendy shrugged again. "Eh- I think you had that covered. And you know? I bet you'd be able to handle what's coming up all by yourself too. It's just, you know- Some guys want me to make sure you get it right. You know- it's a 'fate of the universe' type deal." she said.

"Really? And what exactly _is_ it the 'fate of the universe' deal?" asked Dipper.

Wendy blew a bubble until it popped, and then resumed chewing her gum. "Eh- I'm not really allowed to say. You know how mysterious forces are. They're really into the whole... You know... ' _Mysterious_ ' thing." she said. "I'm really only supposed to be here to tell you not to stay in the library all night. There're things about to happen in the school. Dangerous things."

Dipper rubbed his forehead and sighed. "And I don't suppose you could give me a few more specifics than just _that_?" he asked.

Wendy shook her head. "Not really. Specifics aren't really a part of the deal, Dipper. Like I said, I gotta keep it 'mysterious'." she said. Before Dipper got the chance to roll his eyes and point out how stupid that was, Wendy suddenly drew her face close to his. In an instant, any kind of rational thought flew out of his mind.

She gently pressed her forehead against his, as she looked into his eyes.

"Dipper..." she whispered. "I know... I know I'm repeating myself, but... You have to _trust_ someone. Okay?"

Dipper shifted back in his chair, and tried to fight back the red in his face. "That's what you said the first time..." he muttered. "But... Who? Who am I supposed to trust?"

Wendy smiled at him, as she mimed zipping her lips shut, and then flicking away the key.

And then- she was gone.

There was total silence, as Dipper stared blankly at the spot where 'not-Wendy' had been standing. After a few minutes, a new voice broke the quiet, snapping Dipper out of his stupor in an instant.

"Dipper?"

Dipper rubbed his eyes and frowned, as Pacifica Northwest stepped out from the shadows. He stared at her for a moment, and then he closed his eyes. He slowly removed his glasses, and then he opened his eyes again.

She was still there. Illuminated by the soft glow of the lamp.

Dipper breathed a sigh of relief. "Good... It's really you..." he muttered.

Pacifica shot him a confused look, but she quickly shook it off. "Dipper, listen- I... I need to talk to you." she said. Her voice sounded uncharacteristically soft.

Dipper rubbed his forehead as he glanced at the pile of books on his desk. "Can it wait? I was going to try and hide out from the whole... _Valentines_ thing, by reading some of these old books..." he explained. Dipper wiped a thick layer of dust from one of the book covers, and picked it up. "This one's dated to be almost five hundred years old- and its hand written... Of course, it's all in Russian- But hey, learning another language can't be all that hard... Right?"

As Dipper turned back to face her, he suddenly paused.

She was pale, and her eyes were fixed to the floor.

Something was wrong. It didn't take a life time of reading junior detective novels to figure that out.

Dipper cleared his throat. "Pacifica? What's wrong?" he asked.

Pacifica bit her lip. "Dipper... Can I... I mean..." she took a deep breath, and let out a noise of frustration. "Listen, I... I have to show you something... Okay?" she asked.

Dipper nodded, slowly.

Pacifica drew a long, deep breath. Her hands were trembling a bit, as she slowly pulled something out of her skirt pocket. She stared at it for what felt like an eternity, as she felt a lump start to form in her throat.

Finally, she outstretched her hand, and showed him what was lying in her palm.

A small, black USB.

"This... This is a USB." muttered Pacifica.

There was a moment of awkward silence. Finally, Dipper spoke up.

"Uh-huh. I can see that." he said.

Pacifica scowled. "No- That's not- I mean..." she shook her head as she tried to find the right words. "Alright... Look- I'll just... Start from the beginning." she said. "So, almost an hour ago... This little _jerk_ called 'Jigg' approached me in the cafeteria... And he told me to keep you out of the Valentines party. No matter what. And... He said that if I didn't, he'd release information that could destroy my family... H-he... Gave me a copy... But I haven't looked at it... Yet..." she explained.

Dipper frowned. "This guy's blackmailing you?"

"Well, _yeah_ \- That's what I said." said Pacifica, as she put her hands on her hips.

"But... Why?"

"That's what _I'd_ like to know. But if he's resorting to blackmail, then it can't be anything good..."

"No- I meant... Why are you telling me? Isn't that kinda...risky?"

Pacifca began to fidget in place, and as she did everything she could to avoid eye contact as she spoke. "I... I don't like getting blackmailed. Besides... I-... I mean... I didn't want to have to... You know... _Lie_ to you. We're... We're _friends_ , right?" she muttered. She felt her face begin to flush, and she had to resist the urge to step back into the shadows to hide her embarrassment.

Dipper felt some color creep up to his face. "Y-... Yeah. I mean... You've saved my life a few times now, and... I-..." he trailed off, as his ability to speak suddenly seemed to disappear. Finally, he shook his head and took a deep breath.

"I'd... I'd say we're friends, now... Yeah..." he muttered.

The two teenagers silently squirmed at the awkwardness that seemed to have suddenly fallen over them both. After what felt like an eternity, Pacifica was the first one to find her voice.

"S-so... What now?" she muttered.

Dipper coughed. "Well... I guess... I guess I'll go figure out why this guy wants to keep me away from the dance... Especially since I had no plans to go in the first place." he said, as he rubbed his forehead in thought. "You said his name was 'Jigg'? He wouldn't happen to be a creepy looking puppet-clown guy, would he?" he asked.

"That... Sounds like an accurate description."

"I think I ran into him a few days ago... I made a note of it in my-... My journal." said Dipper. "He seemed... _Suspicious_. To say the least..."

Pacifica grimaced. "He's always like that. Little _creep_..." she muttered.

Dipper kept his hand on his forehead as he thought. Finally, he turned his attention back to Pacifica. "Did... Did you want to check what's on that USB? He could be bluffing." he said.

"I thought of that... But... I just kind of... Wanted to see _you_ first..." muttered Pacifica.

Dipper blinked. "Oh... Well-... Okay." he muttered.

Another awkward silence hung in the air, as they did their best to avoid eye contact with each other.

Dipper sighed. Obviously the not-Wendy had thrown him off his game. He had always been fairly awkward around girls- but this was _Pacifica_. She didn't count. Or at least she wasn't supposed to. He took a deep breath, and wrote it off as another example of teenage hormones causing trouble.

'Alright- I think I'll start off by looking into this 'Jigg' guy. Try and find out what he's planning... And if I have to- I'll put a stop to it. Then I can have a relaxing evening of being all alone. On Valentine's Day. Yep. Sounds good. Mildly depressing- but also good.' thought Dipper, before nodding to himself.

"Pacifica? Don't worry about the whole... 'Blackmail' thing. I'll do everything I can to stay away from that dance. I was planning on doing that anyway." said Dipper.

Pacifica finally lifted her gaze back to him. "You're going to go all 'detective' aren't you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean- You're going to start poking around, trying to figure out what he's up too. Even if it gets you into trouble."

"Well-... Yeah. I guess. I mean, if he's resorting to blackmail just to keep me away... Then he must be planning _something_ , right?"

"I'm coming too."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"But- You've got that whole Valentines thing to go too!"

"I don't care. If I let you go off on your own, then you'll probably just end up blowing something up. Again."

"That's not- I mean-"

"I'm already a part of this, okay? That little creep tried to _use_ me. Who knows if he'll try it again someday? If you're going to try and stop whatever he's planning, then I'm going too."

Dipper slumped his shoulders in defeat, and sighed.

"Fine... But just remember that you're coming with me _willingly_ this time. So no complaining if things turn crazy."

Pacifica smiled. "Agreed."

Leaving the pile of old books sitting on the desk, Dipper and Pacifica left the library together. As they both wondered where to start investigating the puppet-clown boy known as 'Jigg', time kept ticking by.

It was only four hours until the big dance.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Mabel sighed.

It had been almost an hour now, and she still hadn't found the perfect Valentine for her brother. Unfortunately, no matter where she looked, it seemed like every girl had already found a date. And it was starting to look more and more like Dipper was going to spend another Valentine's Day all alone.

She bit her lip.

Dipper had never had any luck with Valentine's Day. Or girls in general for that matter. And it seemed like no matter what kind of pep talk she gave him, it always ended the same.

With him being alone.

It had always been that way, really. But it had gotten several times worse after Dipper had almost literally had his heart broken. Or more accurately- ripped out of his chest and consumed.

He had been hospitalized for over a month after that one. And it had taken almost that entire time for him to start speaking again. Apparently having a girl that you had a crush on almost gouge out your heart with her hands had been fairly traumatic.

But Dipper was strong. And even though it had taken a while, by the time he came home from the hospital, she felt like she had her brother back. And then another Valentine's Day showed up. And she could see him start to retreat to that glazed look he had in his eyes back when he was in the hospital.

She had never felt more helpless. Everything she did seemed to either not work at all- or make things worse. And eventually, all she could do was watch him start to look sad whenever Valentine's Day came about. Or, whenever something reminded him of _her_.

Mabel shook her head. She didn't want to think about _her_ again. It would only make her angry. She stopped to take a deep breath, and closed her eyes to let her mind wander to more cheerful things. Like baby penguins in sailor costumes. Or an alien taking his robot out for a walk. Or a naked mole-rat swimming in a bowl of nachos.

She smiled as she opened her eyes again.

Mabel spun around in place with a big, toothy grin. "Hey, Candy, Grenda-" she said, only to suddenly stop. She had been expecting to find them trailing behind her- but instead, she was greeted with a long, empty hallway.

She blinked.

They had been right there a few seconds ago. She was sure of it.

When she turned back around, she paused.

There, standing in front of her- was a girl.

She was wearing an old white dress, smeared with dirt and grime. The dress clung to her dull grey skin, as droplets of water began to pool at her feet. Her long black hair hung over her face, but Mabel could still feel her eyes boring into her own.

The girl's body seemed to flicker as she moved. As if she were fading in and out of existence in the blink of an eye.

Mabel stared at her for a moment. And then- she noticed that she wasn't holding any chocolates. Or heart shaped cards. Or even any flowers. Her smile came back in an instant.

"Hey, there! I'm Mabel!" she exclaimed. "What's your name?"

The girl made a sound that sounded like a mixture of a gurgle, and a grunt.

Mabel chuckled. "Oh- I get it. Strong silent type huh? You know- My brother happens to love those. And he's totally got a thing for girls with 'mystique'. And you've got in spades, girlfriend!"

The girl flickered again. Her head slowly tilted to the side, as Mabel spoke.

"So you know, the big Valentine's Day dance is happening tonight- And my brother... Well, he kinda doesn't have a date. I know it's sorta weird and all... But would you like to go with him? He's a really good guy." said Mabel.

The girl flickered again. And suddenly, a low gravelly voice filled the air.

"I... Don't... Do... Blind... Dates..." the girl growled.

Mabel sighed. "Aw... Are you sure? He... He really is a good guy."

The girl slowly shook her head.

Mabel sighed again. "I see... Well... I won't force you... It's... It's just..." she trailed off, and then shook her head. "No- never mind. Thank you anyway though."

The girl made another sound.

"Hey, Mabel! Come check this out!" a loud, familiar voice echoed throughout the hallway.

Mabel blinked, and turned around to find Candy and Grenda standing at the other end of the hall. Grenda had her hands cupped around her mouth. "Hurry!" she yelled.

"I'll be right there, girls!" yelled Mabel. She turned to say goodbye to the girl she had just been talking to- only to find that she had disappeared. Mabel stared for a moment. Then, she shrugged. "She must be shy..." she muttered.

With that, Mabel raced down the hallway to join Grenda and Candy. "What is it, Grenda?" she asked, as she skidded to a halt in front of them.

"Come. We will show you." said Candy. Grenda nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it's really cool!" she exclaimed.

Candy and Grenda led Mabel down a corner, and along another long hallway. Eventually, they came to a stop in front of an enormous set of black doors. They were outlined by lines of gold and multi-colored gems, and the door handles looked like a set of fist-sized diamonds.

It looked like something that belonged in a castle, and it sat in stark contrast to the dull red wallpaper and old paintings that lined the hallways.

Mabel gasped. "Oooh- What does _this_ door lead to?" she asked.

"It's the door to the big ballroom! It's like the _fanciest_ place in the whole school. For some reason, it's always impossible to find when there's not a big dance thing goin' on..." said Grenda.

"Yes. And it is where the big Valentine's Dance will be happening tonight." added Candy.

Grenda nodded. "Uh-huh! You want to take a peek? I heard it's going to be _extra_ fancy for tonight!" said Grenda.

"Well... I don't know... I mean- I still haven't found a date for Dipper..." muttered Mabel.

"But- It will only be for a moment, Mabel. Don't you want to peek at the fanciness?" asked Candy.

Mabel began chewing her hair, as she furrowed her eyebrows in thought. Before she could make a decision however, the doors suddenly swung open, and rope sprang out from the darkness inside- and wrapped itself around the three girls. Before any of them could so much as start to register what was going on- they were pulled inside.

The doors closed behind them, as they found themselves sliding across the floor. Eventually, they came to a stop at the feet of a tall, thin man. The thin man stood over them, casting a menacing shadow.

He was wearing a long black tuxedo, with thin white striped travelling down the surface. Along with black pants, with the same white stripes, and a pair of black dress shoes. His bow tie had a small crest in the middle that resembled the face of a bat- complete with fabric springing out on both sides that resembled a pair of outstretched wings.

None of that contributed to his menacing presence, like his head. It looked like a large jack-o-lantern, with a large sharp-toothed scowl. Either that- or he was the pumpkin over his actual head. It was difficult to tell- especially with the ominous yellow glow pouring out of the pumpkins eyes and mouth.

The man stood there for a moment. The angry jack-o-lanterns face glowering at them menacingly.

Then- he suddenly stopped.

"Oh- I'm sorry. I thought you were my little helpers." he said, as he carefully unraveled the rope from around the three girls. "They were _supposed_ to be helping me with the preparations- and yet those no-account troublemakers went and abandoned me in this time of need! And after _they_ were the ones who _insisted_ on volunteering."

Candy and Grenda blushed as he removed the rope. "Th-that's okay, Mr. Skellington..." muttered Candy.

Mabel's eyes widened. " _You're_ Mister Skellington? The music teacher?" she exclaimed.

Mr. Skellington nodded. The menacing scowl on the pumpkins face suddenly seemed closer to a smile. Although it still had the same sharp teeth. "Yes, yes- the one and only. Say... I don't seem to recognize your face. Are you one of the _new_ students?" he asked.

Mabel nodded, slowly.

"Ah, yes! Sally mentioned that there were a few students who were caught up in an accident a short time ago. That must be why my class has been devoid of your lovely singing voices, Candy and Grenda. And what is your name, Miss New Student?" asked Mr Skellington.

"NEW! I mean- Mabel! I-It's Mabel!" exclaimed Mabel.

"Mabel! Ah, another intriguing human name. I'll have to add that one to my list..." he muttered to himself. "Although I would love to take the time to ask you three a thousand questions about life out there in the human world, I'm afraid I must continue the preparations for the festivities! There is no time to waste!"

With that, Mr. Skellington strode off, looking determined.

In perfect unison, the girls let out a loving sigh.

"He's even more handsome than you said!" whispered Mabel.

Candy nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. And he is _so_ mysterious." whispered Candy.

"Yeah... Although for some reason, the pumpkin thing is kinda bothering me..." muttered Grenda.

Candy gasped. "Grenda! That is the essence of his cool, mysterious persona!" she exclaimed.

Grenda scratched her head. "I _guess_.. Maybe it's just that plant empathy thing kicking in again..." she muttered.

While Candy and Grenda quietly discussed the pro's and con's of wearing a jack-o-lantern on your head, Mabel looked around the room.

They were sitting in the middle of an enormous ballroom. The walls, the floor and the ceiling were all white and appeared to be decorated by thin lines of gold. There was also an enormous chandelier hanging from the ceiling. An intricate mess of gold and multi-colored gems. Across the room, there was an enormous window, with a small door leading to a balcony. Through the window, it was possible to catch a view of a massive expanse of mountains and trees.

The ceiling was high up in the air, and even with the enormous chandelier hanging over it, the room felt enormous. After spending a few minutes simply gawking at her surroundings, Mabel began to notice something.

There were several stone pillars around the room. Presumably there to help the ceiling with the strain of the massive chandelier. And all over these white pillars, where red love hearts.

With big spiders on them.

She blinked.

Another pillar had what looked like an enormous snake wrapped around it. With love hearts painted across its body. Then, she noticed a few toy cupids hanging from the wall. They had been taped together, and they both had long pink arrows sticking out of their chests, and fairly gruesome looks on their faces. When she noticed Mr. Skellington blowing a massive balloon that appeared to be shaped like an actual human heart- she suddenly snapped.

"This is all wrong!" she exclaimed. Her voice seemed to echo all throughout the large white room. Candy and Grenda gasped, as Mr. Skellington suddenly let go of the balloon- letting it suddenly fly off into the air.

Faster than seemed possible- Mr. Skellington was suddenly standing in front of them again.

"What is it? It there something wrong with the decorations!?" asked Mr. Skellington. The pumpkins face looked appropriately worried.

Candy suddenly covered Mabel's mouth with her hand. "No, not at all Mr. Skellington! There is nothing wrong with anything you do!" she exclaimed.

Mandy pulled Candy's hand away, and huffed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Skellington! But this is all wrong! This doesn't look like Valentine's Day! It looks more like Halloween!" she exclaimed. "Don't get me wrong- I _love_ Halloween! But it's a completely different holiday!"

Mr. Skellington rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful. "I see... It all looks right to me... But- You probably know a little more about this holiday than I do. Do you suppose you could fill in for my missing helpers, and help me to get things 'right' before the festivities begin? The last thing I want to happen is for me to fumble another holiday." said Mr. Skellington. "Especially after that 'Thanksgiving' debacle. All those zombie turkeys... _Wasted_."

Candy made a sound that could only be described as a 'squee'. "Oh my goodness! You have to do this, Mabel! Spending time with Mr. Skellington... It is a dream come true!" she exclaimed.

Grenda frowned a little. "Well, yeah- But... What about the whole Dipper thing? We still haven't found any girls that're free tonight... And the deadlines getting really close." she muttered.

Mabel began to chew her hair again as she thought. 'What'll I do? If I leave things like this... Then Valentines'll go bad for everyone. Not just for Dipper...' she thought. Finally, she sprung to her feet.

"Never underestimate the power of Mabel Pines on Valentine's Day! We'll save Valentines for Dipper, _and_ for everyone else! They don't call me the Queen of Valentines for nothin'!" Mabel exclaimed.

Mr. Skellington gasped. "You're the Queen of Valentines Land? Well this is perfect! I will do everything in my power to help your celebration! And who knows- perhaps it will give me some ideas for next Halloween!" he said, as he carefully rubbed his hands together, and cackled to himself.

Mabel pumped her fist into the air.

"LET'S DO THIS!" she bellowed.

As Grenda, Candy and Mr. Skellington began to set to work, following all of Mabel's orders, she began to feel a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She bit her lip, and shook it off. She would _not_ let Dipper miss Valentine's Day this year. She was going to fulfill her promise.

No matter what.

Besides, if anybody knew how to hastily decorate a place for a party- it was Mabel Pines. She quietly nodded to herself, and got to work.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

"Are you really doing this?" whispered Pacifica.

Dipper nodded. "Yes. I really am. If you want to leave, then you're perfectly welcome-"

Pacifica cut him off mid-sentence. "I'm not leaving." she said. "No matter what."

Dipper and Pacifica were standing in front of the door to Jigg's dorm room. At least, Dipper _thought_ it was Jigg's dorm room.

After exiting the library, they had made their way back to their own dorm room, in order to use Pacifica's laptop. It hadn't taken very long to find Jigg's dorm number in the school database. All it took was a little hacking. Which was probably almost as illegal as what Dipper was planning to do next.

But then- if they really didn't want their database getting hacked, then maybe they would've thought of a better passcode than 'Guest'.

Dipper rifled through his trench coat pockets for a while, until he finally produced a small metal case. Dipper flipped open the lid to reveal a small collection of lock-picking tools.

They were an old birthday present from Grunkle Stan.

Having the ability to pick locks had come in handy quite a few times back in Piedmont- as did the many other things he had learned from his Grunkles.

Like 'never trust anyone with a whip'. Or, 'never eat while you're performing an experiment. That's how we end up with monster sandwiches'.

As Dipper got to work on the lock, he remembered another thing he had heard during his time back in Gravity Falls.

"Don't think of it as breaking and entering. Think of it as visiting. Just- you know... Without permission." said Dipper. Pacifica rolled her eyes, as the lock suddenly clicked.

Dipper grinned.

"We're in." he muttered.

Pacifica gave him a look. "You seem a little too excited about all of this." she said.

"Do I?"

"Yes."

"Well, just think about it! Helping a beautiful heiress unravel a complex web of blackmail and mystery... It kinda feels like one of those cool detective noir movies- don't you think?"

Pacifica rolled her eyes, and smiled a little. "You are a total nerd. You know that?" she said.

Dipper shrugged. "I've been called worse."

"Uh-huh... By the way... What did you just describe me as? A _something_ heiress was it?" she asked, with a grin.

Dipper twitched. "Let's hurry up and open that door, shall we?" he asked, as he pulled on the door handle.

A gust of cool air washed against their faces as soon as Dipper opened the door. They stood in the doorway in silence, as they looked over the room.

It was a fairly small room. There was a bed, a dresser and little else. There was a window on the far wall, but the view was obscured by what looked like a plume of thick grey fog.

Everything in the room was the same shade of dull grey. The wallpaper, the carpet, even the bed. It was all covered in the same depressing color. It reminded Dipper of an old movie he had once watched. About an old abandoned mental asylum. Everything looked clean. Sterile. It was all the same color. Everything was the same. And a great evil lurked behind every corner...

He shuddered, as he carefully stepped inside. Pacifica began to shudder as well- but for a different reason.

"Does he have air conditioning or something? It feels like Everest in here..." she muttered, as she walked over to the bed.

The sheets were crisp, and perfectly tucked in. It was as if the bed had never been laid upon. She turned around to look at the dresser. And she immediately recoiled in both horror and disgust.

The dresser had an enormous mirror attached to it. The mirror was covered in hundreds of photo's, and they were all of Jigg. He was posing differently in every one. One of them had him sitting on a stool, contemplating life. Another had him lying on a bed, with a rose in his mouth. And then there were a couple dozen of him wearing a wide variety of different hats.

She grimaced. "This is definitely the right room." she muttered.

Dipper rifled through his trench coat once more. This time, he pulled out what looked like a small black remote. It had a screen on one end, and a wide variety of buttons and lights on its surface. As he waved it in the air, it began to beep.

Pacifica raised an eyebrow. "What is that thing? It looks like someone covered a TV remote in Christmas lights." she said.

"This is an Ectoplasm and Dark Energy Detector, Mark 7. It's the very latest in magic detection software." said Dipper. "I've been waiting for a chance to use this thing. It took me forever to save up the money for it."

Pacifica looked at it for a moment. "Uh-huh... You know, there's probably an app for that." she said.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "I don't think any 'app' could compare with genuine Ghost Harassers brand technology, Pacifica." he said.

"Found some!" exclaimed Pacifica, as she held out her phone. "Look- Ectoplasm and Dark Energy Detector or 'EDED' Mark 13. That's six whole 'marks' extra. And there's more! Look at this one. 'Fenton Ghost Finder'. And it's got the full five stars!" she said, as she scrolled over the long list of apps on her phone. "Wow... There're a lot from this Fenton guy..." she muttered.

"Like I said. None of that stuff can even compare to having the real hardware. I mean- Wait! Let me see that." Dipper exclaimed, as he suddenly snatched the phone out of her hand. "All of these only cost a _dollar_!?" he exclaimed. "And this one even detects Nightmaw(?) pheromones! I didn't think that was even _possible_!"

In a sudden flash of movement, Pacifica ripped her phone out of his hands. "Don't touch that!" she exclaimed.

Dipper ignored her, as he stared vacantly at his EDED Mark 7. "Lousy comic book ads..." he muttered.

Pacifica meanwhile, breathed a sigh of relief. He had come dangerously close to seeing the photo she had used for her phone's wallpaper. 'That could've been... _Awkward_ ' she thought. She made a mental note to change it as soon as she found the time. But for now- there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"This place is almost completely _bare_." said Pacifica. "Do you think we'll even find anything in here?"

Dipper put the EDED Mark 7 back in his pocket. "I don't know... Have you checked under the bed?" he asked.

"Uh... _No_." said Pacifica. "I'm not a huge fan of getting covered head to toe in _dust_. Besides- Aren't there usually... You know... _Monsters_ under there?"

Dipper sighed. "Fine. I'll do it." he said.

Dipper had barely taken a step, when suddenly the entire room seemed to tremble. Dipper and Pacifica stood in place for a moment, remaining perfectly still. Suddenly, a line began to form across the floor. It took Dipper a few seconds to realize what was happening. But when he did, his face twisted into a grimace.

"Hey, Pacifica?"

"Yeah?"

"Brace yourself."

The floor suddenly disappeared, sending both Dipper and Pacifica falling into a long, dark abyss.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper and Pacifica found themselves falling down a series of tubes. Twisting and turning for what felt like an eternity, before they finally landed with a loud 'thud' on a soft, padded surface.

They groaned and rubbed their heads, as they slowly peeled themselves off of the floor.

"Ugh... It's a good thing I don't get motion sickness anymore..." muttered Dipper. "Are you okay, Pacifica?"

"I... I guess..." muttered Pacifica. "Where... Where are we?"

Dipper looked around. They were sitting in a small, padded room. There was a long mirror running across the wall in front of them, surrounded by bright orange lights. And a large security camera hanging from the ceiling on a thin metal rod. There was a small red light on the camera, blinking on and off as the camera lens zoomed in on them.

Dipper grimaced. The padding on the floor, the walls and the ceiling made him feel somewhat uneasy. He had more than one nightmare that involved him being wrapped in a straightjacket and thrown into a room just like this one. And spending the rest of his day muttering incoherently to himself.

He shuddered.

"Are you... Okay?" asked Pacifica.

Dipper took a deep breath, and nodded. "I'm fine..." he muttered.

Suddenly, there was a loud 'click'. Dipper and Pacifica blinked, as a large megaphone began to lower from the ceiling. There was a loud crackling sound, before a garbled voice slowly filled the room.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that, _Pines_. In fact- I'd say you're about the opposite of _fine_." it said.

Dipper frowned. "Do I know you?" he asked.

"What? Of course you- Wait... Aw, I don't believe this! Jigg! I asked you to fix these speakers a _week_ ago! Listen to the audio quality on this thing! It's so bad he can't even recognize my beautiful voice!"

Another voice came in through the megaphone.

"Oh, yeah... Now I remember. Oh, well."

"Oh, no you don't! You're not getting away with this by shrugging your shoulders and going 'oh, well'. Don't you realize what you did? You've ruined the whole atmosphere!"

"Oh, well."

"GRRRAAH! No! I'm not letting you get under my skin! Not tonight. Tonight, everything's finally going to be perfect."

"Uh-huh. You know you're still pressing the 'speak' button, right?"

"Wha- Aw, butter my biscuit!"

There was a high pitched whine, as the megaphone slowly receded back into the ceiling.

Dipper and Pacifica glanced at each other.

After what sounded like some muffled arguing from the other side of the mirror, a part of the wall next to it suddenly swung open like a door. A dark silhouette stood at the doorway for a moment, revealing his dramatic entrance. Then, he stepped into the light.

Only to be met with a loud, weary groan.

"You've gotta be kidding me... Now _he's_ here?" groaned Dipper. "Why couldn't it have just been the puppet-clown guy? At least he's less likely to break into _song_."

Jigg popped up from behind Gideon. "I'm here too!" he announced.

"Oh, great- So you two are working together?" asked Dipper.

Jigg nodded. "Uh-huh. Got a whole big plan and everythin'. Here- let me detail it for you. At length." he said.

Gideon growled. "Be quiet! This is _my_ moment, with _my_ mortal enemy!" he bellowed.

Jigg rubbed his chin. "I dunno... I feel like ol' Dipper-boy and me'd make pretty swell mortal enemies. What do you think, Dippster?" he asked.

Dipper thought for a moment. "Well, let me think... A puppet boy who wears clown make-up? Yeah, I could see us being mortal enemies." he said.

"Right? I mean, I'm just _made_ for this whole evil shtick. Not like ol' Giddy-up over here. Between you and me, I think he's gettin' a little soft in his old age." said Jigg.

Gideon's face went red. "Just go make sure the preparations are going as planned! And hurry yerself up before I blow my _brisket_!" he bellowed.

Jigg tilted his head to the side. "What does that even _mean_?" he muttered.

"Just go!" yelled Gideon.

Jigg shrugged to himself, and wandered off. Gideon watched him leave. Once he was sure that Jigg was gone, and wouldn't be coming back to interrupt his gloating, Gideon cleared his throat and turned to face Dipper and Pacifica. He took a deep breath, and smiled.

Gideon had grown since the last time Dipper had seen him. Not by much, though. His hair was still paper white, although it had been shortened and slicked back with what looked like a whole tub of hair-gel. He looked a little less chubby around the edges, and a little less pale.

He was wearing a full black tuxedo, complete with a bright red rose in the front pocket. The tuxedo seemed to sparkle under the light as he smiled, revealing a single gold tooth on the left side of his front teeth.

"It's a real pleasure to see you again. Both of you." he said, with a bow. "And it was awful nice of you both to drop by all unannounced. Now to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Don't give us _that_ , Gideon!" growled Pacifica. "And since when have you and _Jigg_ been working together?"

Gideon gave her a look. "Uh, since he first _got_ here. Maybe you'd have made that connection a little earlier if you weren't so self-absorbed."

" _I'm_ self-absorbed? You've been standing here for like three minutes and you've already checked yourself in the mirror _twice_!"

Gideon looked up after checking himself in the mirror for a third time. "Huh? Sorry, I missed that." he said.

Pacifica grit her teeth. "So _you're_ the one behind that horrible newspaper? People's lives were _ruined_ by all that gossip!"

Gideon rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. You're only saying that because now _you're_ involved. Besides- It ain't like it was _all_ gossip. You rich kids are a _very_ dirty bunch."

Pacifica shot him a dirty look, but Gideon ignored it.

"Did ya'll ever wind up takin' a look at that lil' ol' USB I had Jigg give you? It took a me some serious work to track down that lil' piece of _dirt_. And ain't it a thing? Ya'll really should give it a look-see. But then again... After tonight, I geuss it won't matter a lick anymore." said Gideon.

"Is it me, or are you trying to act a little more 'folksy' than usual?" asked Pacifica.

Dipper sighed. "I think that he thinks it helps with the whole 'evil rant' deal. You know how whenever there's a bad guy in a movie, they always have to have some kinda accent? I geuss it's a rule or something." said Dipper.

"It just makes him sound like a lame cowboy or something." said Pacifica.

Dipper nodded. "Agreed."

"Will you just keep your noise-makers shut for a little while!? Ya'll 're almost as bad as _Jigg_. Seriously. Is it so much to ask fer prisoners to just sit tight while I do some good ol' fashioned ranting? Is that so much to ask!?" yelled Gideon.

Dipper and Pacifica silently nodded.

Gideon sighed. "Fine..." he muttered. Moving as quickly as he could, Gideon pulled out a small remote control, and pressed a button. All of a sudden, a series of large white straps sprang out from the wall behind Dipper and Pacifica- wrapping around them and pulling them straight into the wall with a loud 'thump'.

While Dipper and Pacifica grunted and groaned against the tight straps, Gideon rand a comb through his hair, and flashed another smile at the mirror.

"Well now, you two. I'm afraid I've got a little dance to get to. Sorry ya'll didn't get to hear about my lil' ol' plan." he said, with a smile. "Geuss you'll have to wait and see it along with everyone else."

Dipper grit his teeth. "Leave Mabel alone." he growled.

Gideon blinked. "What?"

"I said... Leave. Mabel. Alone. Whatever you're going to do... I know it'll involve her... It always does. Just... Just leave her alone, Gideon. She's not going to like you... No matter what you try." said Dipper.

Gideon's face turned several shades of red. "You don't know that!" he bellowed.

"Of _course_ I do. She's my _sister_." said Dipper.

Gideon gave a snarl that sounded like a coss between a growl and a sneer. "Please. You don't know _anything_ about the art of romance, _Pines_. And after tonight... You won't be able to meddle with Mabel and I ever again. Nobody will."

Dipper sent him a glare, as Gideon gave his captors a graceful bow, and then left the room. Closing the wall behind him.

Dipper and Pacifica stayed there in silence for a while. Strapped to the wall, and facing a mirror.

Eventually, Dipper cleared his throat. "... So, I was thinking we go through the one-way mirror and make our way to the dance, and stop him before he does anything stupid. Or crazy. Or... evil." he said.

"Uh-huh. And how're we going to get out of these straps?" muttered Pacifica.

" _That_ part... I'm still working on."

"Well, do you think you could _start_ working on it?"

"It wouldn't be problem if I could move my arms... I always carry my swiss-army knife in my trench coat. But I can't... _Get_ to it... Hey, Pacifica?"

"What?"

"You wouldn't happen to have a nail file or something would you?"

"No... But I _do_ have my portable hair straightener."

"Wait, seriously? Why would you have a portable _hair straightener_? You've got even more gadgets than I do!"

"It's not a _gadget_. It's a beauty amplification device."

"It's a gadget."

"It is not! Gadgets are for _dorks_."

"Then I guess you're a dork. Or at least partly."

"Say that again, and I'll leave you on the wall."

Dipper rolled his eyes, as Pacifica maneuvered her arm to her pocket, and pulled out her air straightener. It took some time, but she eventually managed open the device, and clamp it down on one of the straps. Then, she turned it on, and held down the 'straighten' button. The metal wrapped around the strap quickly began to heat up- until eventually it burned right through.

With her arm now mostly free, Pacifica got to work on the rest of the straps, until she was finally completely free. With that done, she stepped out in front of Dipper, and smiled.

Dipper frowned. "What?" he muttered. "Are you really going to leave me here for saying you're part dork? I said _partly_. Besides, you called me a dork just a few minutes ago and I-"

Pacifica interrupted him. "You know what this means, don't you?" she asked.

"Uh... No?" muttered Dipper.

"It means, now you owe me a _third_ favor." said Pacifica, with a proud smile on her face.

Dipper groaned. "Oh, _no_..." he muttered.

"I'm really looking forward to the day I cash all of those in." said Pacifica, as got to work on the belts holding Dipper against the wall.

Dipper sighed _. "I'm_ not..." he muttered.

As Pacifica began to slowly and carefully burn through the straps holding Dipper, Dipper felt something start to grow in the pit of his stomach.

He frowned.

It was dread. Something very bad was coming. He could feel it. Whatever it was that Gideon and Jigg were up to... He had a feeling that it was worse than he had initially thought.

 _Much_ worse.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

"This is even better than I initially thought it'd be!" exclaimed Mabel.

Candy nodded. "Much better."

The ball room had been freshly embroidered with ribbons, streamers, love-heart shaped lights and balloons and even a few fresh-faced non-horrorfying cupids hanging on a few of the stone pillars. The window facing the forest had been painted over with an enormous pink heart, with the words 'Happy Valentines Day!' scrawled across it in a fancy looking cursive.

Mabel, Grenda and Candy beamed with joy, while Mr Skellington stood in the middle of it all, rubbing his chin. Or at least- the chin of the jack-o-lantern he was still wearing over his head. "Are you sure all of this is correct? Granted I never got the chance to really _visit_ Valentines Town, but this all seems quite... _Off-putting_." he muttered.

Mabel turned to face him, her smile bigger than ever. "No worries, Mr Skellington! It's _perfect_! Absolutely perfect. Now all I gotta do is find a date for my brother, and everything'll be set!" she announced.

"Cool!" yelled Grenda, as the thrust her fists into the air. Then, she suddenly lowered them, with a look of worry slowly creeping up on her face. "But, wait... Mabel, did you remember to find a date for _yourself_?" she asked.

"Yes, I have been meaning to ask you this myself, Mabel. You have not really had the time to speak with many boys, after all..." said Candy.

Mabel blinked. "Huh... You know you're right..." she muttered. She carefully stroked her chin, as she appeared to fall into deep thought. Then, she simply shrugged. "Oh, well. Maybe I'll find a nice sweetheart during the dance. Oooh! What if it's a super handsome guy in an awesome light blue outfit- and we dance 'till midnight, and then he has to run off all mysteriously. And he leaves a crystal loafer behind... Leading to an epic journey to find my one true love!"

Candy thought about that for a moment. "Do you mean... Like in ' _Cinderello_ '?" she asked.

Mabel nodded fervently.

"Oooh, I love that one! Yeah- Maybe the next guy who comes through that door'll wind up being your dearly beloved or somethin'!" exclaimed Grenda.

Just as she had finished speaking, the enormous ballroom doors suddenly burst open- revealing the small, scrawny form of Jigg. His hair sticking out on end like he ahd just been freshly electrocuted, and his clown make-up looking _particularly_ creepy.

"It is I! Jigg! Ace Reporter!" he announced.

While Candy, Mabel and Grenda stared blankly at him, Jigg marched his way into the ballroom.

"Boy- What the heck happened here? Did a bunch of love-fairies explode and leave their entrails on all the walls or somethin'? 'Cuz their entrails are really more of a _teal_ than a pink." said Jigg. All of a sudden, Mr Skellington was standing in front of him. As if he had teleported from one end of the enormous ballroom to the other. Either that- or he was _really_ fast.

Mr Skellington crossed his arms over his chest, and leered down at Jigg.

"Mister _Saw_. You and Gideon were supposed to be here, helping with all the festivities. You volunteered. And instead- you ran off, leaving all the work for me. Luckily these lovely girls were nice enough to fill in for _your_ do you have to say for yourself?" he demanded.

Jigg shrugged. "It was urgent. We got word that there were rats hoverin' around a little trap of ours. By the time we got there- they'd already fallin' in. What're ya gunna do? Takin' care of pests is like a full time gig, ya know." he said.

Mr Skellington seemed to frown. "I _see_. And where is Gideon?" he asked.

Jigg shrugged again. "He'll be here soon. Probably all sweaty and huffy. You know how 'e is. But hey- it looks like you managed fine without us, right? That's a win."

Mr Skellington remained perfectly still, as he glowered down at Jigg.

Jigg coughed, nervously. "Soooo... What's next, Skull-man?" he asked.

Mr Skellington slowly lowered his arms. "It's _Skellington_ , Mister Saw. I've told you that many time before." he said. His voice had gone from stern, to simply exasperated.

Jigg shrugged. "Sorry, Skull-guy. I'm not always so great with the names." he said, before turning to face the trio of Mabel, Grenda and Candy.

"Hey- did you girly-types mess with the patterns on the ceiling? And did ya happen to scrub the floros with somethin' that'd do away with permanent invisible ink? You know- like fire?" he asked.

The girls slowly shook their heads.

"Cool. Just checkin'. Welp- Since decorations are all set up, what's say we start settin' up all the food and stuff so we can finally get this lil' shindig started?" said Jigg.

Mr Skellington sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll go speak with Ms Todd. Mister Saw, try and stay in place. I may need your assistance once more. And this time- you'd better _be_ here." he said, as he made his way towards the ballroom doors.

Jigg stretched out his arms, and grunted. "Well- it's finally here. Once ol' Giddy-up gets here... Then the fun can _really_ begin."

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

By the time Gideon finally made it to the ball-room, there was a long line of couples waiting in front of the door. Gideon didn't mind, though. It gave him yet another chance to check his face- and to make sure he looked perfect for his big reunion with Mabel.

He grinned happily at the thought.

When he had first learned of the Pines twins arrival to Lovecraft Boarding School, he was shocked. In all honesty, he never expected to see either of them ever again after they left Gravity Falls. And yet here there were. The second most annoying boy in the world (Jigg was first. Naturally.) and the most beautiful girl in the world.

Mabel Pines.

Gideon let out a girlish giggle just thinking about her.

She was his princess. His female version of 'Cinderello'. Gideon held his hands together, closed his eyes and swooned as he allowed his imagination to run away with him.

There would be dancing... Laughter... And then, as they held each other close under the pale moonlight their face would lean closer and-

Gideons eye suddenly shot open. He was standing there, in the middle of the hall- with his lips fully pursed, kissing the eyes of everyone standing in line were suddenly trained on him. His face went pink as he casually cleared his throat. As he whistled innocently and stuck his hand in his pockets, everyone else slowly turned away.

'Okay- I need to focus. My precious Mabel-ey is not the only thing this night is about. It's also... About vengeance. And taking my rightful spot... On the throne of the world.' Gideon rubbed his hands together began to chuckle evilly to himself.

This time, nobody looked his way- because the doors were finally beginning to open. And the big Valentines Dance was finally beginning.

The line moved slowly as Gideon trailed behind at the very end. People were talking amongst themselves, laughing, and some of them were even standing there in each others arms. Gideon frowned.

Not too long ago- he could have been one of them. In fact- he would've been the center of their attention. Performing on a big stage for all the happy couples. And then, when he was finished- they'd all applaud, and cheer his name.

They'd ruined that. They had abandoned him. And now...

His hands began to tighten into fists.

Then- they went limp. And his evil grin began to fade.

He stood there for a moment. His features blank.

"Hey, dude. Are you going inside?"

Gideon blinked at the sound of a voice. He looked around, only to notice that line was gone. It was just him, standing in the hall- and a man standing by the ballroom door.

The man adjusted his truckers hat, and gave Gideon a curious look. The man looked pretty out of place- especially considering the elaborate dresses and suits that all of the students seem to be wearing. The man was clad in a simple pair of cargo shorts, with a red long sleeved shirt, unbuttoned down the middle to reveal a dark green shirt underneath.

He was also wearing what looked like a truckers cap- with an oddly familiar looking question-mark logo on it. The man was tall and heavy-set. But he had a friendly face that made him seem nice rather than intimidating.

"Uh... Dude? Are you okay?" asked the man.

Gideon was silent.

"Don't feel down for not goin' without a date, dude. I went to plenty of parties without a date. Like, _all_ of them. really. And I turned out okay." said the man. "I mean- just today, I came to this school 'cuz they wanted me to be a bus driver for some big feild trip thing. But it turns out- it's not 'till _next_ week. But guess what? That nice Principal of yours is letting me stick around until the big trip- and he's paying me extra to help out with some odd jobs around the place.

So, you know- It's like I got a new opportunity from what looked like another mistake. And sure, I was kinda bummed out that I messed up at first... But I said to myself- Soos? What does your Abuelita always say? 'Don't just focus on the bad things in life. Otherwise, you'll start to grow bitter and you'll start pushing everything away. And as the bitterness gets worse, it'll turn into hate. Hate for everything. Hate for yourself. And if you get like that- you could wind up turning into some kinda _supervillain_ or somethin'. And a supervillain... _Never_ finds happiness.' Can you imagine? My Abuelita's a real wise woman. I might've added that last part myself over time, though..."

Gideon stared blankly at the man, as he finished his speech. Then, his face twisted into a scowl. "You don't know me..." muttered Gideon, as he made his way towards the door.

The man held it open for him, and flashed him a friendly smile. "Try to have fun in there, little dude." he said.

Gideon ignored him, as he made his way into the crowd of happy couples.

The man took a deep breath. "I hope that kid finds a friend or somethin'... He looked _super_ lonely..." he muttered. Suddenly, the halls were filled with the sound of the 'Duck-tective' theme song. The man quickly pulled his cell-phone out of his pocket.

"Uh-oh. Looks like I am needed elsewhere."

With that, the man adjusted his cap- and set off down the hallway.

Inside the ballroom, the dance seemed to have already started in full swing. There was live entertainment, people were dancing, and the vast array of Valentines decorations were all lit by the pale golden glow of the enormous chandelier.

Gideon made his way through the crowd as best he could, as he made his way to the buffet table.

The tables were covered in the same vast array of foods that the students had become accustomed to for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Except that it all had an obvious theme. Everything, including the roast turkey and the shrimp- were all shaped like love-hearts.

Gideon didn't have time to wonder how any of that was possible. He simply picked up a heart shaped sandwich, and popped it into his mouth. And then, a heart shaped turkey leg. Then, a heart shaped hot-dog. He was eyeing a plate of Miss Todds famous meat pies, when he felt somebody bump into him.

Hard.

Gideon frowned, and spun around to tell whoever it was that he would destroy them- when he noticed who it was. And his ability to speak seemed to suddenly disappear.

Mabel sent him an apologetic smile. "Oh- I'm sorry. I was just trying this new dance move called the 'Jwerk'. It's the one where you just kinda... Jump around, and bump into stuff. It looks a lot more fun on TV, though." she explained, as she tucked a lock of her rainbow colored hair behind her ear.

Gideon tried to speak- but he couldn't.

Unlike everyone else, Mabel was still in her school uniform. And yet- she looked just as beautiful as she would in anything else. Even without make-up, or jewelry... She was still utterly stunning.

The proof of that lied in the stunned look on Gideon's face. Which, no matter how much he wanted too- he simply couldn't seem to shake off.

"Are... Are you okay?" asked Mabel.

Gideon gulped. He took a deep breath, as he tried to summon his usual endless confidence. But, it simply refused to come. So instead, he found himself starting to sweat.

"Uh- I-I... Y-yes, of course..." he stuttered.

"Are you sure? You look like you got hit by a truck full of tasers, and someone told you some really surprising news afterwards." said Mabel.

"N-no, i-it's just that you are so beautiful and I..." Gideon trailed off, as he suddenly felt the intense need to dive under the table and come out when he had pulled himself together.

Mabel giggled, and gave him a soft punch in the shoulder. "Aw, that's really sweet. I was going to wear this really frilly dress my friends and I made, but I got sorta distracted..." she said.

"W-well you look... Amazing..." muttered Gideon.

Mabel smiled again, and Gideon felt his face go tomato red. 'This is terrible...' thought Gideon. 'I-... I don't have any roses! Or poetry! Or-... Or any love songs to sing to her... I-... I can't do this!'

"So, what's your name? I'm Mabel." said Mabel. Her friendly smile made him want to simultaneously run and hide- and hug her. And never let go. Gideon felt his heart pounding against his chest, as if it were trying to leap out of his body.

Gideon took a deep breath. This was his moment. He would introduce himself with a bow, and maybe even giver her a delicate kiss on the hand. And then... Then...

Gideon felt his chest start to tighten.

Then, she would recoil in disgust. That friendly smile would disappear... And so would she. As fast as possible.

'Gideon!?' she would exclaim. 'What're _you_ doing here!?'

The words Dipper had given him before began to float back into his mind.

 _"Just leave her alone, Gideon. She's not going to like you... No matter what you try."_

Gideon wanted to open his mouth, and say something that would sweep her off her feet. In the very least- just to prove Dipper wrong. But no matter how hard he tried to come up with something... It just didn't come. He had imagined this moment ever since Mabel had left Gravity Falls.

He imagined riding in on a fleet of puppies, giving her roses, and being flown into the sunset on a bed of doves.

It was going to be poetic, and beautiful.

Gideon opened his mouth, and closed it again.

 _"No matter what you try..."_

"Hellooo? Are you sure you're okay?" asked Mabel.

Gideon suddenly snapped back to reality. "Oh- Uh... Of course! I- I'm fine. Fine. S-sorry, I've just got to-... Go do something." he muttered. Before Mabel had the chance to respond, Gideon ran off into the crowd of people.

Once he felt like he was far enough away, Gideon could feel his heart finally begin to slow. He took a few deep breaths, as he wiped his sweaty palms on his jacket. He was trying desperately to get his brain back into working order- when a voice cut in from behind him.

"It's 'bout time you showed up, Tubster. Look's like all the kiddies have gathered up- So I guess it's finally show time." said Jigg, wrapping a thin, wooden arms around Gideon's shoulders. "You all set and ready? Great!" he exclaimed, before shoving a microphone into Gideons hands.

With that, Jigg pressed a button, and took a step back. All of a sudden- the room was lit with bright, white lights. The music stopped, and, as if sensing that Gideon was somehow the cause, all of the students slowly turned there attention to him.

Gideon blinked for a moment. Then, he cleared his throat. The microphone whined, as all the eyes in the room were suddenly trained on him.

Gideon took a deep breath. "He-... Hello! E-everyone..." he said. His voice echoed throughout the room. And then- silence.

Gideon frowned, and shook his head. He had to enter 'showmanship mode'. He took another deep breath.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" he boomed. "It so nice to see you all here, on this lovely Valentines Night! I trust everyone is having fun tonight!?"

Gideon didn't wait for a response before he continued. "Well, that's fine and dandy. Now, let me introduce myself. I'm lil' ol' Gideon. Gideon Gleeful. Some of you might remember me from the fantastic shows I used to put on for everyone here."

More silence. Gideon grit his teeth.

"Now, now- there ain't no need to all applaud at once. You might make lil' ol' me _blush_!" he growled. "Now- for those of ya'll that might not remember, some time ago some of the 'VIP' kids decided to pull some very nasty tricks on lil' ol' me. In fact- one or two of 'em even resorted to _bullying_. It was an awful sad story. But heck- At least I'd have my fans with me, right?"

More silence. Gideon felt his grip on the microphone start to tighten.

"But nope! Most of them ended up abandoning lil' ol' me. And the rich kids? Well, they got rid of the rest. They're awful _powerful_ you got this whole darn school under their dainty lil' thumbs. So they were allowed to start usin' me as a punchin' bag. And did anybody care? No... Ya'll just ignored it. Heck- most of ya probably went and _forgot_ lil' ol' me, didn't ya?"

"Well... Now we're all here. And I just wanted to tell ya'll... That ya'll 're going to be the last people in the world who ever ignored me. That's a Gleeful promise. Jigg?"

Gideon gestured to Jigg, who passed him a small sheet of paper. Gideon brought it to his face, and cleared his throat.

Then- he noticed it. Standing at the far end of the room, was Mabel. And her face...

He felt a sharp jab in his chest. Her eyes were... Weary. Perhaps even... _Disappointed_.

Gideon grit his teeth, and took a deep breath.

"VALTRIEX! XALVENSYNTHIO! HYLTHROSS, TAYLMYRIUM XYZCEK YOG SOTOTH ORE! VOXX BAEZ!"Gideon bellowed, with everything he had.

The floor began to glow red, as long thick lines began to form on the floor, curving into a complex series of webs and hieroglyphs. The markings on the ceiling began to glow red. And then- there was a flash.

And everyone in the room had turned to stone. Except for Gideon, and Jigg.

There was silence, as the two of them looked over their new collection of statues. A feild of people frozen in dull grey.

Jigg pulled a small bottle out of his pocket, and gave it to Gideon. "Good job for once, Master! Now, we just got two steps to go. Just hold that there bottle into the air, and once that's done- we get to see our _monster_."

Gideon nodded. As he rose the bottle into the air, the statues began to weep tears of black.

Jigg chuckled to himself. "Look at that. Their hearts're being filled with so much darkness, it's overflowin'. Ain't it great?" said Jigg. "Once they're turned to stone, it activates the despair potion in those little fake 'William Wonkenshire' chocolates of ours. Then, we just scoop up the hearts of despair, and give 'em to the big and nasty. Can you believe the big plan is finally happenin'? It's crazy, right?"

Gideon ignored him.

The statues faces, although unmoving, seemed to be twisted in pain, as the black liquid poured down their cheeks. The air seemed to be filled with noise... Screaming... As droplets of black began to pool on the floor. And then, another wave seemed to sweep across the room.

The bottle in Gideons hand began to tremble, as small spheres of grey began to rise up out out of the statues, and swirl around in the air. Slowly, they began to float through the air, and into the bottle.

The screams began to get louder- but the amount of individual voices seemed to decrease with every sphere that fell into the bottle.

Gideon frowned. These were the 'hearts'. Or 'souls', as some people called them. Gideon bit his lip, as they all began to swirl around above the bottle, like water swirling into a drain.

Jigg cleared his throat. "By the way, Gid-kid... I got a little somethin' to tell you. You know that... 'special' Wonkenshire box you wanted me to give that Mabel girl?"

Gideon suddenly froze.

"Yeah, I went and threw that out. Figured she'd do better with the same as the others." said Jigg.

Gideon felt a wave of dread come crashing down on him. He turned around, slowly... And glanced in Mabel's direction.

She was a statue as well. He had been expecting that. But- she was also crying black. Which meant...

A small grey sphere slowly up from her chest- and joined the rest.

"Wha-... What have you done...?" muttered Gideon.

Jigg shrugged. "Aw, come on Gidds. She's been distracting you. I'm fine with you sparin' that Dipper kid, and the snob- they'll be good motivators. But that girl... She's holding you back, man." he said.

Gideon let go of the bottle- which stayed in the air, all by itself. And grabbed Jigg by the scruff of his jacket. "I SAID, WHAT HAVE YOU _DONE_!?" he bellowed.

Jigg rolled his eyes. "I did my job. I'm your lil' helper, remember? Your slave. Gotta look out for ya, right? It's part of the job." he said.

"THIS- THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANT!" yelled Gideon. He could feel tears beginning to form in his eyes. This couldn't be happening. It _couldn't_ be happening.

Jigg sighed. "It's just like I always thought... You've gone soft. You know, he thought you showed real promise back when you were a kid... But now look at you. You're a shadow of your former self. So full of useless things like self-doubt... And _love_." Jigg spat. "Your no villain... Your a just a big fat _nothing_."

Gideon pulled his fist back to punch him- when something suddenly stopped him.

"Tut-tut. You've really let me down, lard-boy. You were supposed to be the next host. Now... I guess it's up to me." said Jigg.

There was a surge of pain. In every inch of his body. It felt as if there were a thousand razor blades cutting there way out from the inside. Gideon tried to open his mouth to scream- but he couldn't. He couldn't so much as make a single noise.

Jigg shook his head, slowly. "Welp, I guess that's why we have back ups, right?" he said, as he slowly and carefully pressed his wooden hand against Gideon's forehead.

Slowly, Gideon's body seemed to shrink, as all the fat in hit body seemed to fade away, causing his skin to cling tighter and tighter against his bones. The pain seared through his conscious mind. All thought seemed to be ripped out of him, as he tried desperately to scream.

His skin was now wrapped tight against his ribs, and his once considerable stomach had completely disappeared. He looked like a skeleton. Wrapped in a tight layer of pale, white skin.

Jigg smiled, as his wooden features slowly appeared more... plump.

"It'd be all poetic and stuff to say that we're switchin' places... But you were always the _puppet_ here, Gideon." said Jigg, as a pair of newly formed lips began to form a smile on his face.

With a flick of Jigg's wrist- Gideon was sent flying across the room. He slammed through the doors to the ball room, and landed in a heap in the hallway.

Jigg grinned. "Now I finally get to use those 'strings' I attached to 'im for something other than making him trip over every now and again..." he muttered.

Jigg gave a satisfied sigh, as he carefully plucked the bottle out of the air- just as the last of the spheres was falling inside. Jigg put the lid back on, and chuckled to himself.

"Alrighty then. Now, it's time for stage three." said Jigg.

Suddenly, the ceiling began to crack, as the markings around the chandelier began to dance amongst themselves.

Then- the space in front of Jigg began to tear. It was as if the world were a page- and something was clawing it's way through from behind. Thick tufts of smoke began to rise out of the air, as Jigg began to smile even wider.

It was finally here.

* * *

 _To be continued..._

* * *

(AN: After a great deal of work, and worrying- I finally decided to end this chapter here. At around fifteen thousand words. *sigh* The next one should be much shorter- but I guess we'll see. Sorry about the insane delay- and I hope you liked this chapter. Even if it did end on a big ol' cliffhanger. 'Till next time!)

(PS: As a message to the 'Guest' who was kind enough to give me some encouraging words about my writing skills... Thanks. Seriously. It means a lot. Since I can't PM you if you're not signed in and junk, I thought I'd just say that here. And a big thank you to everyone else who has been kind enough to review my story thus far!)


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: The Nightmare of Valentines, Part Three

Pacifica's earliest memory of Valentines Day was mostly an unpleasant one.

It had started out as a good day. She was in the third grade, attending 'Stuffy McSneeringshire's Private School for the Elite'. It was a nice enough school, and Pacifica seemed to fit right in. She had been attending special classes and day-care services since before she could walk. So it wasn't hard for her to get used to the academic environment. And it seemed even easier to make friends.

Everyone around her seemed eager to make her acquaintance. Even some of the she went, it was surrounded by a carnival of smiling faces.

Even at that age, it was pretty easy to see the hints of desperation in their eyes- but she chose to ignore it. Everybody had an ulterior motive. That just seemed to be a fact of life.

Once the bell rung, Pacifica and her friends got to their seats and sat patiently as the teacher spoke.

Their teacher told them that it was Valentines Day. And because of that, they were to be given the entire first lesson to make cards and give them to the people they liked the most. Their closest friends.

It wasn't long before the entire classroom was a flurry of activity. Some of them had already brought cards to give people. While the rest had resorted to hastily calling their servants and barking at them to bring as many heart-shaped cards as they could carry.

Nobody, it seemed, had even considered making their own cards.

Nobody except for Pacifica, that is.

Pacifica had always loved arts and crafts. Especially painting. In fact, one of the few purely happy memories she had ever shared with one of her parents, was the day she gave her mother a handmade card for Mothers Day. It was one of the warmest responses she had ever gotten from her mother. There was hug, and even a kiss on the forehead.

It was the first time she had ever felt like she had something resembling a 'normal' mother. Like the ones she had seen in books and movies.

Her father was a different story. Sometimes, it felt like he didn't even know that she existed. He was always either consumed with work, or too tired to say or do much of anything. But that didn't stop her from painting her father a nice pretty picture for Fathers Day.

She hoped that one day, one of her paintings would make him smile. And then, she could go on to become a world famous artist. And maybe make a lot of other people smile too.

While the classroom buzzed with activity, Pacifica noticed a small pile of cards starting to form on her desk. She smiled to herself, and made a note of every name she saw. She was going to make the best card in the entire world, and give it to all of them.

She smiled to herself, as she added another layer of glitter.

Yep. This was going to be the best Valentines Day card of all time.

Pacifica was putting the finishing touches on her masterpiece, when she noticed something. Far off in the back of the classroom, there was a boy sitting at his desk, all alone. As people moved around the class, dropping card after card on other peoples desks, his remained completely bare.

After a while, the boy began to look sad. Until finally, he simply laid his head down on his desk.

The boys name was Patrick. Patrick Silvers. He was fairly short for his age, with jet black hair that seemed to poke out in every direction in long, thick curls. He had dark brown skin, and dark brown eyes.

Pacifica had seen him around school from time to time. He didn't talk much, and he always looked a little awkward in the school uniform. Probably because the one he wore always seemed to be one or two sizes two big- which only served to accentuate his small, skinny frame.

As Pacifica watched him there, sitting all alone, she felt an odd pang in her chest. She glanced at the enormous pile of cards on her own desk- and then, she glanced back at him. That was when she decided to do something. Something that was unheard of in the Northwest family.

She decided to do something 'nice'.

And so, she set to work. She was going to make another card. An _amazing_ card. Using all the glitter she could get her hands on. Once she was done, she stood up, walked across the classroom, and set it down on Patrick's desk.

It took a moment for him to realize that somebody was standing there in front of him. But when he finally looked up, he was met with a smile from the one and only Pacifica Northwest.

She gave him a small wave, and then went back to her desk.

He stared at her in shock for a moment. Then, he noticed the card. And his look of shock shifted to a look of surprise, before finally settling on a soft smile.

At first, nobody else seemed to take any notice of who Pacifica had given her card to. Everybody else was busy dealing with their own Valentines Day cards. But by the time their first break rolled around, rumors began to spread across the school.

Rumors that Pacifica Northwest had given a special Valentines Day card to Patrick Silvers. The poorest kid in school.

It didn't take long for Pacifica to notice that something was wrong. Many of the smiling faces that had greeted her every day were replaced by sneers. And by the end of the day, she had found herself walking through the hallway, all alone.

That was when the girl approached her. She was an older girl. Tall, with long brown hair. Pacifica couldn't remember her name. But judging by the swarms of people she usually had following her around at all times, Pacifica guessed that she was someone that was supposed to be 'important'.

The girl put her hands on her hips, and sneered.

"So you're crushing on low-class scum like Patrick _Silvers_?" she spat. "Don't you even know how gross that is? His family is practically bankrupt, you know? He doesn't even belong here."

Pacifica said nothing in response, so the girl continued.

"There are rules around here, Northwest. Like if you hang around low-class _nothings_ \- well, that makes you the same. A low-class _nothing_. I'm not surprised though. You Northwests have always been about putting on a good show. But it looks like people are finally starting to recognize what you truly are."

The girl pulled a crumpled up piece of paper, and threw it at Pacifica's feet.

It didn't take long for Pacifica to realize what it was.

It was the Valentines Day card that she had given to all of her friends. Just lying there. In ruins.

Pacifica could feel tears stinging her eyes, as she stared at it.

"You're nothing, Northwest. It looks like all your little friends are finally starting to understand that."

The girl was about to leave, when something happened that she had clearly not been expecting.

Pacifica had never been in a fight before. And she hadn't really been in one since. At least, not a _physical_ fight. She had always been taught that violence was both barbaric, and wrong. But something just seemed to take control of her in that moment. And before she knew it, she had already launched herself head first into the other girl.

The fight only lasted a few minutes, before someone finally showed up to break it up. There were no clear winners. Pacifica was crying, and the other girl was bleeding.

It was probably safe to call it a 'draw'.

The fight seemed to have been the last straw. After that, everyone at the school seemed to turn their back on her. It took a great deal of bribery from her parents to keep her from being expelled- but she was still forced to leave the school. And on the day she left, she received not one single goodbye. In any form.

After that, Pacifica was enrolled in school at Gravity Falls. It was considered 'slumming it', at least by her parents. But they wanted to keep her far away from anyone that could be considered either rich, or important. At least until some of the gossip about the 'Northwest Problem Child' had died down a bit.

She changed rabidly after that. There were more classes, and even more pressure from her parents. And after a while she was forced to look in a mirror, and come to the realization that she had become the very same as that older girl. She had hurt people. She had sneered at people. And she had, in general, been the worst.

Mabel had been the first person in a long time to stand up to her. And remind her what it was like to act and feel like an actual person.

And Dipper... Had given her hope.

Like everyone from Gravity Falls, she owed a lot to the Mystery Twins. More than she could ever tell them.

And now, here she was. Standing in the middle of a padded dungeon with one of the Mystery Twins, while the other was apparently at the mercy of her psychotic fanboy and an even more psychotic puppet-boy.

She sighed, as she watched Dipper pacing around the room, stopping occasionally to pat down the walls- apparently searching for a switch or a secret button. Then, he would tap at the one-way mirror and frown. Dipper rubbed his forehead as he thought.

Then, suddenly he snapped to attention. And Pacifica could practically see the little cartoon light-bulb floating over his head.

"Hey, Pacifica? Can you stand back please? I think I know how we're going to get out of here." said Dipper, as he walked over to the other side of the padded room.

"Sure..." muttered Pacifica. She joined him at the back of the room, and stared at her reflection in the one-way mirror. Then, out of nowhere- it suddenly occurred to her who exactly she was locked in a room with. And she suddenly got the urge to fix up her hair a little. She took deep breath, and suppressed it.

'Adventure now, hairbrush later.' she silently told herself.

Dipper went through his trench coat for a moment. After the standard few seconds of awkwardly rummaging around, he finally pulled out his 'Ectoplasm and Dark Energy Detector Mark 7'. Pacifica raised an eyebrow when she noticed the device in his hand.

"You're going to try and use _that_ thing again? I thought you said it was a waste of money." said Pacifica.

"Yeah, well- You might say I came up with a good secondary use for it." said Dipper. And with that- he threw the device as hard as he could against the one-way mirror. The device burst through, sending tiny shards of broken glass in every direction. Dipper let out a satisfied sigh.

"Well- I probably just voided the warranty, but at least it finally came in handy ." muttered Dipper.

Pacifica stared blankly at Dipper, as she watched him carefully slid some of the glass out of the way, and make his way through the mirror and disappear in the darkness on the other side.

There were a few seconds of silence, as Pacifica stared at the newly broken mirror.

"Hey, I think I found the exit. Yep. It's got the sign and everything. Are you coming, Pacifica? Or did you want to stay here for the rest of the night?" said Dipper, from the other side of the mirror.

Pacifica sighed. "Alright, alright- I'm coming, okay? Just give me a second. I'm not exactly _used_ to crawling through broken glass, you know."

"Oh- Uh... Right. I can give you a hand if you like..." said Dipper, as he pushed at the glass in order to make the hole a little wider. Once he was done, he stretched his hand out to Pacifica. "Come on. Something tells me whatever's supposed to be happening... It's happening _now_." he said.

Pacifica faltered. Then, she frowned and shook her head to rid herself of the pink tinge on her cheeks.

The hole in the one-way mirror led to a dark control room. Luckily, there was a neon sign that read 'Exit' in big green letters above one of the doors. It was a safe bet to say that _that_ was the exit.

The exit led to another hallway. After holding the door open for Pacifica, Dipper closed it behind him. Once he had closed it, an enormous painting began to lower down from higher up on the ceiling- until it completely covered the door.

Dipper blinked. "Okay- so that's how they kept that place a secret, I guess... I wonder if they installed that, or if it was already there to begin with..." he muttered, as he stroked his chin in thought.

"Uh, Dipper- Didn't you say that there was something bad happening? You know, _now_?" said Pacifica.

Dipper nodded. "That's right- We've got to get to the ballroom. Do you know the way?" he asked.

Pacifica shook her head. "No one really know where anything is around here. It's a miracle anybody even gets to class." she muttered.

Dipper cocked an eyebrow. "And, what- There's no 'app for that'?" he asked.

Pacifica rolled her eyes. " _No_. And believe me- I've checked." she said.

Dipper sighed. "Well, then- I guess we'll have to figure out another way to get to the-... the..." Dipper suddenly stopped mid-sentence, and stared off into the distance. He blinked, and then frowned.

Pacifica followed his line of sight to the empty hallway on their left side. She frowned. "Dipper? What is it? Are you... Okay?" she asked.

Dipper shifted his eye back to the floor, and rubbed his forehead. He muttered something to himself, and sighed. Standing at the end of the hall, was Wendy Corduroy. She was waving to him. As if she wanted him to follow her. Pacifica couldn't see her, so it obviously wasn't the real thing.

It was the _Not_ -Wendy.

'What does she want now?' thought Dipper. 'She obviously wants me to follow her... Is she going to show me the way to the ballroom? Or... Is she trying to lead me _away_?'

He frowned, and shook his head. He had no reason to trust whatever it was that was masquerading as Wendy. But, it also seemed like he had little other choice. It was either follow her and hope that she didn't send them on a wild goose chase, or go by himself and _definitely_ wind up on a wild goose chase.

Dipper sighed.

"Pacifica... Follow me. Okay?" he muttered. Without waiting to hear Pacifica's response, Dipper began to run as fast as his legs could take him, towards the Not-Wendy. Not-Wendy smiled, and turned a corner. Gliding across the floor like she was wearing rollerskates.

Actually... Upon closer inspection- she _was_ wearing rollarskates. And chewing gum. And blowing it into bubbles every now and again, and then sending Dipper the same mischievous grin.

Dipper grit his teeth. She- no _it_ was pretending to be Wendy again. Luckily, Dipper didn't have much time to think about that before Pacifica ran alongside him, looking both confused and, for some reason- slightly amused.

"Where are you going, Pines? Did your 'Ghosty-sense' go off or something?" she asked.

Dipper wanted to say something back- but he only managed to sputter out a 'no' as he kept running.

Pacifica raised an eyebrow. "Are you getting tired just from this? This is just a _jog_. You really need to get out more." she said.

Dipper rolled his eyes and kept running. Although he tended to get chased by things like monsters or angry mobs on a semi-regular basis, it did not, apparently, off-set the long stretches of time he spent cooped up somewhere with a book or a computer. Or the junk food. Or the long stretches of time often spent without sleep.

Mercifully, it didn't take long for the Not-Wendy to stop in front of a set of enormous and expensive looking black doors. As Dipper stopped to gasp for air, the Not-Wendy shot him a playful smirk and disappeared.

"Wow- This is it! This the ballroom! How'd you know where it was? This place is one of the hardest rooms to find in the whole school!" exclaimed Pacifica.

Dipper shrugged, as he slowly managed to catch his breath. "I dunno... Luck, I guess..." he muttered.

Pacifica gave him a look. "Really? It was just _luck_?"

Dipper nodded, slowly. "Yeah... And I think we're about to find out if it was _good_ luck or _bad_." he muttered. Doing his best not to notice the incredulous look on Pacifica's face, Dipper approached the door. He was about to touch it- when Pacifica suddenly let out a high pitched yelp.

Dipper spun around immediately, and it didn't take him long to spot what had surprised her.

It was a body. Lying against the wall, opposite the doors. It was small, and covered in blood and gore. And it was wearing a familiar looking suit that hung loosely over the frail, thin form underneath.

Dipper and Pacifica stared blankly at it for what seemed like an eternity, as the flesh on its face seemed to fall away, revealing what looked like the face of an old wooden puppet underneath. The wooden half was a dull brown, with simple looking features, and one large glass eye. Blood continued to pool all around it, as it seemed to sit silently in a pile of its own flesh.

The other half of it's face was still partly in tact- although it was obviously on a slow downward slide.

It looked as if his body was melting away, revealing the bloody form of a puppet underneath. But although most of it's hair had fallen away, and the fancy looking suit it was wearing was slowly being rendered unrecognizable underneath the layers of blood and gore, it was still easy for Dipper to recognize exactly who it was he was looking at.

"...Gideon..." he muttered.

The blue, glass eye on the puppet side of his face suddenly twitched, and focus on Dipper.

"...Pa-... Paahns..." wheezed Gideon.

Pacifica felt herself start to tremble. She bit her lip, and took a deep breath. "Wha-... What happened to you?" she asked.

Gideon tried to move, causing the fleshy side of his face to begin its gradual descent. "Ah... Ah... Bet... You... Are... Hhhaaappy, Paahns." he wheezed. "Be-... Because... N-now... Ah get to... Play... The loser... Again..."

Tears began to form in his glassy eye, as the fleshy side of his face finally fell away. Landing with a sickening 'slap' on his chest.

Now, Gideon had two glassy eyes. Trained on both Dipper and Pacifica. He stared them for a moment, as the tears began to trickle down his bloody, wooden face.

"Now... Now look... At that... I... I went an'... Went an' ruined my favorite... _Suit_..."

Dipper and Pacifica went silent, as the tears running down Gideon's wooden face turned into a stream. Pacifica stared at him with her eyes filled with both horror, and an overwhelming sense of pity. She grit her teeth when she felt tears start to form in her own eyes.

"Gideon. Tell us... Tell us what happened to you. What... What's going on?" she demanded, in as soft and firm a voice as she could manage.

Dipper frowned, as he noticed some of the pieces of flesh surrounding Gideon start to dissolve into nothingness. Finally, he took a deep breath, and let it out through his nose. He had seen his share of horrifying things during his time as a 'junior' paranormal investigator. And even now, there were still some creatures that scared him.

But he had only seen a handful of real victims- including himself. And he had learned that recoiling in horror wasn't always the most appropriate response. He gave Pacifica a look.

She was doing well. Her face was rife with genuine concern, and only a few shadows of least he could do, was try and do the same. So, he put on a brave face- and looked Gideon in the eyes.

"You... You switched places, didn't you? With Jigg, I mean. So now... You're the puppet... And he's the master?" asked Dipper.

Gideon nodded, slowly. "Th-that... That's right... P-... _Pines_..." he spat. Gideon's voice was strained, and quiet. As he moved to sit up straight against the wall, his features continued to fall away.

"It... It looks like... Y-... Ya'll was... Right..." said Gideon. "A-and... And..." he trailed off, as he slowly lowered his head. The skin on his hands had already fallen away. Replaced by hands of wood. His fingers twitched a little as he stared down at them. There was still blood on them.

If he could have, Gideon would have grit his teeth.

' _Her_ blood too...' he thought.

The tears began to stop, as Gideon felt an overwhelming cold surge through his body. Once it had spread to every part of his body, it seemed to stay with him. Everything went numb, as his vision began to blur.

Gideon whispered Dipper's first name.

His _real_ first name.

And moved his head up slowly to face him.

"Tell... Mabel... I-... I..." Gideons body began to go limp, as he struggled to get the words out.

"Tell her... That... That I... I'm sorry... I'm just... _Sorry_..."

And with that, his eyes seemed to fade.

His body slowly slouched over.

And Dipper and Pacifica simply stood there. Stunned into silence.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Time passed. But the silence between them hung heavily in the air.

There was a whirlpool of shock, sadness and pity whirling through them both. Pacifica felt like crying. Screaming. Or maybe just hiding under her covers and pretending what she had just seen was some kind of bad dream.

Dipper wanted to feel angry. Or sad. But instead, he just felt... Hopeless.

Although he had tried to reason with Gideon a few times in the past, he had never truly believed that he was capable of change. Not really. But the sound of his voice... The pain and the regret that was so heavily infused in his final words...

Maybe there had been some hope for Gideon. But now... It was gone.

Dipper closed his eyes, and slowly shook his head. "Jigg... Will be in the ballroom. I-" Dipper's voice cracked, but he did his best to shake it off. "I'll... I'll put a stop to this. Before he hurts _anyone_ else." he muttered

"No..." muttered Pacifica. Her voice was trembling, so she rubbed some of the wetness from her eyes, and took a deep breath.. "We'll stop this. I-... Before... I was the one that asked you for help... With Jigg... Right? The job... It's still the same. We'll... We'll stop him. _Together_."

Dipper slowly shook his head. "Pacifica... He... He's obviously a _lot_ more dangerous than I thought. Maybe... Maybe it'd be better if I-"

"If you even _think_ about going in there alone, I'll sick my lawyers on you for a breach of a verbal contract." growled Pacifica.

Dipper sighed. "Okay... fine." he muttered, as he walked over to the ballroom doors. "Just... Stay behind me. Okay?"

He didn't bother waiting for a response. Instead, he gripped the door knob and slowly pushed the door open. Plumes of smoke burst out from behind the door as he opened it, sending Dipper into a fit of coughing and sputtering. He grimaced as the smell of ash filled his nostrils.

The smoke soon began to fade, revealing nothing but darkness beyond the doorway. Dipper grit his teeth, and pulled a flashlight out of his trench-coat pocket.

"Pacifica? Do you have a light?" he muttered.

Pacifica thought for a moment, and then pulled out her phone. She pressed a small button on the side, and the screen suddenly lit up. Bright enough to make Dipper wince a little. He glanced at the phone, and then back at Pacifica. "I guess that'll do..." he muttered. "And uh-... Like I said... Just... Stay close."

Pacifica gave him a small nod, as she followed him into the darkness.

Once they had taken a few careful steps further into the room, the door suddenly slammed shut behind them. Dipper and Pacifica froze for a moment. When what followed was only more silence, they both let out a small weary sigh, before continuing forward.

Even with Dipper's flashlight and Pacifica's phone combined, it was still hard to see where they were walking. The air was permeated by a thick grey fog.

Their slow, careful footsteps echoed throughout the room. As they moved further in, they began to feel an odd, gentle warmth in the air. The warmth gradually turned into heat. And before long, they could both feel beads of sweat forming on their faces.

Dipper aimed his flashlight forward and tried his best to squint through the fog. But it seemed to be no use. He couldn't see walls, the ceiling, or even the surface he was standing on. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he finally noticed something far off into the distance.

Dipper frowned.

It looked like a silhouette of some kind. Although he couldn't quite tell if it was human- or something else entirely. "Do you see that, Pacifica? Over there..." he whispered, as he pointed at the unmoving shadow in the distance. Pacifica frowned a little, and nodded.

They approached it, slowly. Keeping as close to each other as possible as they moved. Eventually, they finally managed to get close enough for Dippers flashlight to cut through the fog, and shine onto the silhouette. Revealing it for what it was.

A statue. Of a tall, thin man wearing white striped suit- with a large jack-o-lantern for a head.

Dipper blinked, and Pacifica gasped.

Dipper turned his attention to Pacifica. "Do you know who or _what_ that's supposed to be?" he asked.

Pacifica nodded. "Yeah... It's Mr Skellington... The music teacher..." she said.

Dipper stared at the statue for a moment, and sighed. "Of _course_ it is." he muttered.

Slowly, the fog began to lift, and the heat seemed to grow even more intense. Suddenly, a bright light shone down from above, backing the entire room in an eery golden glow.

All of a sudden, they were surrounded by statues. It didn't take more than a glance for Dipper to realize what they all were.

They were the students. All frozen in stone. Their faces twisted in pain and sadness, with long streaks of black running down from their eyes.

Dipper squeezed his flashlight, as he felt his heart start to sink into his stomach. He scanned the crowd of statues, and he felt his heart seem to suddenly stop in his chest when he found what he was looking for.

"MABEL!" he yelled, as he ran across the floor. Standing in the circle, was a statue of Mabel. With Candy and Grenda standing at either side of her. All of their faces were twisted into the same expression of horror and pain. And they all had the same black substance running down their cheeks from their eyes.

Dipper grimaced, and shuddered.

"I-... No..." he muttered. " _Mabel_..." his voice was shaking almost as much as he was, as he grit his teeth and felt tears start to sting his eyes. He tried to take a breath- but it escaped as a sob.

He grit his teeth as hard as he could, and closed his eyes. 'She's not _dead_...' he silently told himself. 'None of them... None of them are _dead_.'

And then he looked at her face again. At her dull, lifeless eyes. And he had to choke back another sob. He had seen that look before. In the images of his own dead body that seemed to haunt him every now and again in his nightmares. It was exactly the same.

"M-... Mabel..." he whispered. Dipper slowly brought his hand to her face. It was cold. And the streaks of black fluid coming from her eyes were... sticky. Dipper shuddered, as he stared into the pain ridden expression on her face.

"I-... I should've gotten here sooner... I-... I shouldn't have let you come with me to this stupid school... It-... It's just like always... Wherever I go... It's always _following_ me... A-and... And..."

He took a deep breath, and choked back another sob. "But don't worry... Okay?" he said. "I'll...I'll bring you back. You... And _everyone_ else..."

Pacifica's eyes darted from Mabel, to Dipper- and then back again. She could feel the urge to scream rising in her chest, but she pushed it down. With a deep breath, she rose her hand and gently placed it on Dippers shoulder. She wanted it be firm. Reassuring. But she couldn't get rid of the slight trembling in her hand.

"Y-... You _will_ do it, Dipper. You'll save the day. I know you will." she whispered.

Dipper was silent. The entire room was silent.

And then, all of a sudden- Pacifica felt herself start to move. And in a quick flash of movement, she had tightened her grip on his shoulder- and spun him around to face her. And before brain could convince her to do otherwise, she had wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as tightly as she could.

Dipper let out a low wheeze, as Pacifica did her best to hide her face. He opened his mouth to ask her to let go. Or to at least stop trying to turn his ribs into dust. And then, he noticed it.

She was trembling.

'She's... scared...' he thought. '... And... So am I...' he then, he took a deep breath, and did something that even surprised himself. He wrapped his arms around her slender form, and hugged her back.

He tried to ignore the softness he felt, and the alluring scent she seemed to have in her hair. His face flushed a lit red, as he felt her trembling suddenly stop. And all of a sudden... His seemed to disappear as well.

"Th-... There's no need to assume... That this is irreversible." muttered Dipper. "And... We're _not_ too late..."

Pacifica did her best to keep her face hidden, as she slowly nodded.

"Right..." she muttered.

Some time passed. And then, just as suddenly as she had grabbed him- Pacifica let suddenly let go. She turned her back to him, and took a few deep breaths. Her face was beet red. In fact, it felt like her entire body was flushed from the sudden close encounter. She bit her lip, and turned her attention to the floor.

Dipper, for his part- looked mostly bewildered. Some had time passed before he noticed the color in his cheeks, which he was wuick to shake off. Or at least, _try_ to.

He cleared his throat, and glanced at Pacifica. "..Th-... Thanks..." he muttered.

Pacifica kept her eyes trained on the floor as she slowly nodded. "Uh-... S-sure..." she muttered.

Silence.

"C-can we... I mean... Uh, can we just like, forget how awkward that was?" asked Pacifica.

Dipper smiled a little. "Sure."

There was another brief moment of silence between them, before a voice began to echo throughout the ballroom. "Geeze-louise. You know, this ain't the time _or_ the place for your lame 'teen romance' deal. I mean, read the atmosphere you guys. Seriously." said the voice.

Dipper and Pacifica both bristled at the sound of his voice. It was uniquely high-pitched, with a hint of rasp that could only be described as 'rusty'.

They looked up at the enormous chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It's intricate golden arches were sprinkled with multi-colored gems, and connected to a set of large, bright lights. Sitting amongst the lights, was a small figure. The lights were too bright to be able to fully make out who it was, but was easy enough to figure out.

" _Jigg_..." spat Pacifica.

Jigg slid down from the chandelier on a thin string, and gently patted down his suit when he landed.

He looked taller. His suit seemed to fit better. But the most glaringly obvious change was in his face. It looked... Human. Pale, with a sharp nose and long curvy lips. His eyes were no longer made of glass. They were now big, and soulful. And a dark, chocolate brown. His long frizzy black hair now fell straight, past his shoulders. Which, coupled with his long black eyelashes seemed to give him an oddly feminine look.

The only remnants of his old face that remained on his soft, pretty new one- were a set of red lines that fell down from his eyes across his cheeks to the bottom of his face. There were four of them going down from either eye.

Jigg took a long, deep breath and smiled, revealing a wide set of perfect looking teeth. "Ain't it grand?" he muttered. "That's the sweet, salty smell of true _despair._ High quality, too. You just can't find quality stuff like that anymore... Not since what happened in the Hellscape, at least."

"Nice of you guys to finally show up, by the way." Jigg continued, as he pulled a set of white gloves out of his pocket, and slowly slid them on to his hands. "So, I spent some time thinkin' about what to say when you finally showed up. There were a few options, of course. The good ol' fashioned 'villain rant'. You know, where I explain that the Wonkenshire chocolates were tainted with a despair potion, and the floor was booby trapped with a 'turn 'em to statues' curse. Just so you folks can make proper sense of what's goin' on.

Then, I'd tell you that the markings on the ceiling- which were a total nightmare to put there by the way- were there to help harvest their despair ridden souls, an' serve 'em to a being of pure evil. But then I was like- you know what? That's just a device used in fiction to make sure that people can understand the plot. And it's kind of a waste of time. Don't you think?" asked Jigg.

Dipper spoke through gritted teeth. "How do we change them back?" he growled.

Jigg shrugged. "I dunno. Getting 'em their hearts back would probably be a good start." he said, without breaking his wide grin.

With his white gloves now fitted perfectly onto his hands, Jigg pulled a small bottle out of his jacket. "This is them, by the way. I wanted to use a heart shaped bottle- but I thought, ya know? Too much. That's too much. A little bit of subtly goes a long way, ya know?"

"What do _want!_?" spat Pacifica. "What exactly is worth doing all of _this!_?"

Jigg stroked his chin for a second, and shrugged. "There are... Four pieces. And now, I'm going to be the second. That's all." he said.

"What does that even mean?" growled Dipper.

Jigg grinned. "Like I said. It's all about subtly. You gotta be real careful with what you say and do. It's all a part of the ancient art of playin' the bad guy. Now then..." slowly, the smile on his face began to fade. Replaced by a cold, distant stare. "Let's get the show on the road... shall we?" he said.

Jigg clicked his fingers. And all of a sudden, all the statues erupted in flames. Dipper and Pacifica's eye widened, as the watched the fire.

It wasn't orange, or even red. The flames were black. And they seemed to absorb all the light around them, rather than emit it. But what Dipper and Pacifica were staring, were the mouths that began to appear on the surface of the flames. There were dozens of them. All smiling, and revealing different sets of teeth. And as the fire spread, it began to grow more and more.

It was long before all the mouths began to speak. Some of them in a whisper, some of them screaming. Each individual mouth seemed to have its own voice, and none of them seemed to be saying the same thing.

"Hearts!"

"Die!"

"WHHHYYY!?"

"Ice-cream!"

"SCREEEEAAAMM!"

" _Bleeeeed_..."

"Fall?"

"Dream..."

Dipper and Pacifica cringed, and covered their ears as the voices filled the room. The voices were surrounding them. Smothering them. And the black fire effectively turned the entire room into an enormous furnace. Dipper felt his knees buckle as the voices pounded against his eardrums and his body seemed to turn into one giant faucet of sweat.

Pacifica tried her best to stand her ground, but the noise coupled with the heat was starting to make it unbearable. Without thinking, she began to lean against Dipper, as the fire circled them like a vicious black inferno.

Jigg happily chuckled to himself as he began to fiddle with the bottle in his hands.

Pacifica took a deep breath. She was still holding her phone in her hand. She stared at it for a moment, and then nodded. She nudged Dipper to get his attention, and mouth some words to him.

"When I move, go for the bottle." she mouthed.

Dipper stared at her for a moment, frowned a little, and nodded.

With that, Pacifica drew her arm back- and threw her phone as hard as she could. It zipped across the room, and smacked straight into Jiggs face. Jigg gasped as blood began to spray out of his nose, and he suddenly lost grip of the bottle. Before it had the chance to hit the ground, however, Dipper had already dived for it- and caught it. After rolling around the floor a few times, he quickly got to his feet.

And then, he ran. Pacifica joined him soon after, as the fire began to howl with laughter.

Jigg rubbed his bloody nose, and chuckled. "I was hopin' you'd put up a fight." he muttered. Dipper and Pacifica fought through the flames, and squeezed through the circle of statues to reach the other side. They didn't stop running until Pacifica noticed something on the wall. She grabbed Dipper by the trench coat. "Over there!" she yelled.

Pacifica pointed to a large metal box on one of the walls. It was bright red, and covered in various love-heart themed stickers. Mercifully, none of the stickers covered the big white letters painted on it that read 'In Case of Fire'.

They wasted no time in getting to it and swinging it open, to reveal a large fire-hose, and an axe. Dipper glanced at, and then back at the black fire. "I don't know if it'll work- but it's worth a shot!" Dipper yelled over the noise. Pacifica nodded, as she slowly unraveled the fire-hose.

She turned the handle as far as it would go- and a jet of water erupted out of the hose. Pacifica grit her teeth as she tried to hold it steady, against the fire.

"Oh- you're using water? Cute." said Jigg. Somehow, his voice seemed to cut through all the others.

Dipper glanced at Pacifica, and then back at the red box. He grit his teeth, and pulled out the axe. "Keep him busy!" yelled Dipper. "I've got an idea!"

Pacifica nodded, as she sprayed the fire down with water. Some of the flames let out a loud hiss, while others seemed to stop and enjoy the shower. Either way, she seemed to be successfully stalling it.

Dipper ran off, as the fire began to divide- revealing Jigg's smiling form. Pacifica grit her teeth. The hose seemed to be doing its best to squirm its way out of her hands, but she managed to keep her grip and aim the stream at Jigg. The water hit him in the chest with enough pressure to tear off the buttons on his jacket, and send him sliding across the floor.

The black flames crept closer, as Pacifica did her best to keep them at bay.

Minutes passed that felt like hours, as the fire gradually continued to draw closer and closer to her. Finally, she grit her teeth- and dropped the hose. The water-pressure running through it caused the hose to start flinging around wildly, and Pacifica narrowly dodged a close encounter with the metal hose-nozzle as she ran.

She kept close to the wall, as she ran along the outside of the room. The black flames gave chase behind her like a tidal wave of fire, all while chuckling and talking amongst themselves.

Jigg meanwhile, picked himself off the floor, and sighed. "Great. Now I'm all wet..." he muttered. "Then again, I guess it was a little refreshing. These fancy pants suits don't give the ol' flesh _nearly_ enough breathing room..."

"HEY JIGG!"

Jigg blinked, and spun around to find Dipper standing at the other side of the room. Jigg smiled a little when he noticed the axe that Dipper was lamely trying to hide behind his back.

"'Hey' to you too, bucko. You know, I knew you'd find a way to escape that little dungeon. But to be honest, I thought you'd get to a it a little faster than _that_. Now look... Everyone you were supposed to protect... They're all _gone_." said Jigg, his smile growing all the wider. "While you were off screwin' around... They were here... Suffering. But then again, that's nothin' new for you, is it Pines? You're always off gallivanting around... And the people you claim to love are always suffering for it... It's more than a little sad, if ya ask me."

Dipper grit his teeth, as his grip tightened on the axe. "Why don't you try coming a little _closer_ and saying that." he growled.

Jigg chuckled, as he took a few steps closer, coming to a stop in the middle of the room. "What're you going to do, lil' Dipper? Hit me with an axe? This is still Gideons body, y'know. I mean sure, I reformed it a bunch- but that's only 'cuz I didn't want to look like a cheap Elvis impersonator."

"So instead you went with 'Vampire'? At least Gideon's was _somewhat_ original." said Dipper.

Jigg opened his mouth to reply, but Dipper didn't give him a chance. He held the axe over head, and swung. There was loud 'clang!' as the axe smashed into the large pillar next to him. Or, more accurately- the long metal chains attached to the pillar.

All of a sudden, there was a high pitched whine, followed by a deafening screech.

Jigg blinked, as he looked around the room.

There were chains attached to about four of the stone pillars, and all of the chains led straight up to the ceiling and connected to the chandelier. The chains were helping to keep it hanging from the ceiling. And it looked like Dipper had managed to break the chain supports on almost every pillar.

Then- the last one snapped. And the chandelier suddenly dropped out of the ceiling. Jigg blinked, as he noticed where he was standing.

Right in the middle of the room. Directly underneath the chandelier.

Jigg raised an eyebrow. "Impressive." he muttered.

As the chandelier fell Jigg simply put his hand in the air... And it stopped.

There was a moment of silence, as the chandelier seemed to hover just over his hand. Then, with a flick of his wrist- the chandelier went flying off to the side, and crashed through the enormous ballroom window. Shards of glass went flying in every direction, as a cold gust of air came rushing in from outside. There was a small 'crash' as the chandelier hit the ground below.

Suddenly, Dipper felt himself being pulled forward, and across the room Pacifica felt the same. Soon they were both sent flying towards each other- crashing with an enormous 'smack' right in front of Jigg.

Jigg twisted his fingers around, and Dipper and Pacifica could feel invisible strings wrapping themselves around their bodies. They struggled, but it was no use.

"Ain't it great? My ol' invisible string trick is so much more powerful now that I picked up this coat o' flesh. It's as handy as it is dandy." said Jigg.

"Screw you!" snarled Pacifica.

Jigg chuckled. "Now, now. Calm yourself, sweetheart. Ya wanna die with a little dignity, don't you?" he asked.

"Go to Hell!" bellowed Pacifica.

"She means Hell- _scape_." muttered Dipper.

"There too!" yelled Pacifica.

Jigg rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. Let's just cut the chit-chat, shall we? Dippy-boy? You wanna give me the bottle back now?" he said.

Dipper raised an eyebrow. " _Dippy_ -boy?" he muttered.

Pacifica scoffed. "That's like, the _worst_. Do you have _no_ imagination?" she said.

Jigg sighed. "You know, as much as I appreciate the whole 'banter' thing, it's starting to get... A little stale. So let's say I just ramp things up a little?" he said, as he carefully placed his palm on Dipper's forehead. "Now... I want to see you reach into that coat of yours... And give me the bottle. Okay?"

Dipper grit his teeth. " _No_." he growled.

Jigg smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

A ferocious explosion of pain ripped through Dipper's forehead, and ran down his entire body. He screamed, and after a few seconds, the pain suddenly dissapeared.

Dipper gasped desperately for air, as Jigg smiled down at him.

"Ready yet?" asked Jigg.

Dipper coughed and wheezed, as Pacifica struggled with all her might against the invisible ropes. "STOP IT!" she bellowed.

Jigg ignored her. "Well, Dippster? We're waitin'." he said.

Dipper grit his teeth, and looked Jigg in the eyes. "I'll... _Never_... Do it..." he growled through shallow breaths.

Jigg shrugged. "Whatever you say, Bucko. Whatever you say."

Another surge of pain ripped through his body. Dipper grit his teeth as hard he could. His entire body began to tremble. He tightened his hands into fists until they went white, and his fingernails began to draw blood from his palms.

Pacifica was screaming... Jig was laughing... But all of the noise was starting to fade away. Everything around him seemed to be slowly fading into black.

And then- it stopped. The pain went away, and the entire world seemed to come rushing back to him.

Jigg sighed. "Well, well. Look's like your a little tougher than I gave ya credit for, lil' Dipper." he said.

Dipper coughed and sputtered, before making a few desperate gasps for air.

"Well... If you're not going to break like a good little boy... I guess I could move on to the princess here." said Jigg.

Pacifica snarled. "Just try it, you freak!" she bellowed. "I'll tear you to _shreds_ you worthless sack of _garbage_!"

Jigg raised his eyebrows. "Ooh. Feisty. This is going to be _fun_." he said, with a chuckle. Jigg moved his hand towards Pacifica, slowly. She grit her teeth, and braced herself. But just before Jiggs hand touched her, Dipper raised his voice.

"Wait!... Wait... S-... Stop..." he muttered. "I'll do it... I'll... I'll give you the bottle..."

Jigg let out a disappointed sigh. "Aw. You couldn't let me have my fun, could you? Well, fine then." he muttered.

"Wait- Dipper! You can't-" Pacifica was interrupted when the invisible strings suddenly disappeared, and she felt Dipper collapse on the floor.

Jigg watched Pacifica help him to his feet with a bored look on his face.

"Dipper... Don't do this. You're giving him what he wants. I-... I can take anything that little jerk throws at me. Okay?" said Pacifica. "You can't do this."

Dipper sighed, and shook his head. "It'd only be delaying the inevitable, Pacifica... If he wanted too... He could just kill us both and _take_ it..." he muttered. Dipper reached into his trench-coat, and grit his teeth. Moving as slowly as he could, he carefully pulled out the bottle, and held it in his trembling hands. It was made of crystal. And Dipper could see its contents peacefully swirling around inside. It looked like a pool of every color he could think of. And somewhere in there, were the souls of Mabel, Grenda, Candy, and... Everyone else.

"Hurry up, Pines. We don't have all day." said Jigg.

Dipper gripped the bottle even harder in his hand. He needed a plan. An idea. Anything. But his tired, frazzled mind kept coming up empty. All he could see were the images of all those pain-ridden statues. Gideon's lifeless body. His hands kept shaking.

Finally, Jigg let out a tired sigh. "Look- I don't wanna be here all night, y'know? I've got a school to destroy. _Secrets_ to find. So if you're going to insist on being a timid lil' baby about every little thing- Like dooming the souls of your sister, her friends and a bunch've strangers to getting consumed by fire- Well then, I guess we can just do this the _hard_ way."

Jigg clicked his fingers, and the black flames suddenly appeared behind him. The mouths amidst the flames laughing, coughing and talking amongst themselves as always. Jigg flashed Dipper and Pacifica a large smile, before turning to face them.

"Alright, guys! I was goin' to offer you the hearts before we bound together and got started with the real fun... But then I got to thinkin'... What's say we do this now? We've got two fresh lil' victims here, and I'm sure you guys'd love to hear 'em _scream_. Almost as much as I would." he said. "So- what do ya say? Shall we?"

The mouths began to laugh, scream and whisper.

Jigg shrugged. "That's good enough for me."

With that, he brought his hands to his jaw, and fiddled with it until there was a sickening 'crack'. Then, he opened his mouth impossibly wide, and took a long, deep breath. All the flames seemed to readily launch themselves into his mouth, as Jigg quickly slurped up the entire inferno. It lasted about a minute. But eventually, any and all traces of the black flames had disappeared into his mouth.

Then, Jigg began to chuckle. His laughter echoing throughout the room, as the air around him seemed to tremble in fear. His jaw snapped back to his face, as Jigg began to writhe in laughter. He quickly began to claw at himself. As if he had begun to feel things crawling around underneath his skin. He kept laughing, and laughing. Even as he ripped apart his shirt, and clawed at his face.

Deep cuts began to appear all over his body. And pretty quickly, they all began to open wider and wider- each one revealing a set of human teeth. Soon the mouths began to prop up on his chest, across his stomach, his arms and all over his face. Each and every one of them laughing hysterically along with him. Then his entire body burst into flames.

They looked normal at first- but pretty soon, the fire began to burn black.

Jigg slowly turned back around to face Dipper and Pacifica. His eyes now replaced by a new set of cackling mouths.

Dipper and Pacifica began to back away slowly, as Jigg took a few steps closer.

 _ **"Look. We are now the second piece of the puzzle... Isn't wonderful?"** _ said Jigg. _**"And now, we get to take one of the 'Pines Twins' that I heard so much about... And rip him apart. Oh- And of course, you too Princess. We wouldn't want to forget about the precious little Northwest girl, now would we?"**_

Jigg's voice now consisted of thousands of others, all speaking at once. As he approached them, he burst into another fit of hysterical laughter. All the other voices joined him in the deafening cackle.

"YA'LL 'RE FORGETTIN' SOMEONE ELSE!"

Suddenly, the cackling stopped. Jigg 'blinked' with the mouths that had replaced his eyes, and gave Dipper and Pacifica an odd look. _**"Hey, uh... Did you guys just say something? In a dumb kinda faux southern accent? Either of you? No?"**_

Dipper and Pacifica slowly glanced at each other, and then back at Jigg. They both silently shook their heads.

 ** _"No, come on you guys. It had to 've been you. I mean, who else would try and pull off the whole 'folksy country boy' deal in a voice that sounds like a cat being strangled with a belt? No one. That's who."_**

The clouds slowly parted outside, allowing the light of the moon to spill in through the enormous broken window. And there, standing by the entrance- was a puppet. Wearing a loose fitting suit, drenched in blood.

Jigg groaned. _**"Oh, right. You."** _ he muttered.

Gideons wooden jaws couldn't form his usual evil grin. So he instead, he settled with a nod.

"Yeah. _Me_."

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

It had started to rain outside. Flashes of lightning lit up with room. Revealing short flashes of the statues. Of Jigg hulking body, now bathed in black flames and thousands of grinning mouths. Of Dipper and Pacifica's dumbfounded expressions.

And the short, fragile looking form of Gideon's new puppet body.

The noise of the rain and the thunder began to fill the room, as Gideon and Jigg stared at each other in complete silence.

And then, the quiet was broken.

 ** _"Well, well. If it ain't ol' Giddyup himself. Did you come to check out what you're missing?"_** asked Jigg, as he struck a pose. _**"Check it out. We've become part of something bigger. A power to end all power. And to think- This could have been you. You could have been our host. You were supposed too. But then... You went all soft an' weepy. And over what? A girl?"**_

Jigg launched into another round of loud, hysterical laughter.

 _ **"And more than that- A girl who will never feel the same about you. Not ever. Can you even imagine something so pathetic? We know we can't."** _ said Jigg.

Gideon balled his thin wooden fingers into fists. "I know I've told ya'll a million times. And ya never listen. But I'll say it again any-how. Jigg. Shut. Up." he growled. "Nothin'... Nothin' I've ever done has been for Mabel. It's always been about me. Now ain't any different."

The mouths collectively sighed.

 _ **"Well... If that's true, then we guess there's no reason to keep you around as a puppet... Now, is there?"**_ asked Jigg, as he took a few menacing steps forward.

While Jigg had his attention focused on Gideon, Dipper slowly inched closer to Pacifica. He whispered something to her. She frowned a little, and whispered something back. They continued to quietly squabble like this, as Jigg walked past them and towards Gideon.

Gideon stood perfectly still, and silently clenched his wooden jaw.

There was another flash of lightning. The storm outside was turning treacherous.

Gideon opened his hands, and flexed his wooden fingers in front of him. "I... I thought that I wanted to make 'er happy. I thought... That if I did somethin' big, then... Well, then maybe... But all this time, it weren't ever about her. I've always just been thinkin' about myself." he muttered. Another roar of thunder drowned his voice out to everyone but himself. "And so now... I-... I just wanna do somethin' for her. Somethin' like takin' someone whose done nothin' but cause her pain... And throw 'im away. And... Ya'll 're goin' down with me."

And with that, Gideon let out a loud, high-pitched scream and launched himself at was a loud 'thunk' as Gideon's body seemed to simply bounce off of him.

But Gideon wasted no time in picked himself up, and launching himself headfirst into Jigg one more time.

Dipper turned his attention from Gideon and Jigg, back to Pacifica.

"Okay. So is that our plan?" he whispered.

Pacifica gave him a small nod.

Dipper took a deep breath, and then slowly let it out. "Okay. I don't know how long it'll take... But I'll tell you when it's ready." he said.

"Right." said Pacifica.

Dipper faltered. "Are you... Are you sure you don't want to switch places?" he muttered.

Pacifica gave him a stern look. "No. I'll do it. I didn't attend all of those expensive self-defense classes for nothing." she muttered. "Besides... You look like you can barely even keep your eyes open... Let alone try and pick to fight with a fire demon."

Dipper gave her a look, but she wouldn't budge. Finally, he sighed. "Fine... Just... Be _careful_ , okay?" he muttered.

Pacifica smiled. "You too."

With that, Dipper and Pacifica ran off to different sides of the room.

Pacifica picked up the axe that Dipper had used earlier to bring down the chandelier, while Dipper managed to wrangle the fire-hose that Pacifica has used to bat away the black flames. It was still writhing across the floor with a powerful stream of water spraying all over the place. Once he had it, he pulled down on a small lever on the nozzle- causing the water to stop abruptly.

Gideon continued to recklessly launch himself at Jigg, only to be batted away as Pacifica slowly approached him from behind with the axe.

She gripped the handle with all of the strength she could muster, and held her breath. Gideon was getting himself back up on his feet, as Jigg pointed and laughed. She grit her teeth- and swung.

The axe zipped through the air, the blade approaching what looked like Jigg's neck at an incredible speed. And then- he ducked. And the axe found itself grazing across the ends of a few black flames, but otherwise leaving Jigg completely fine.

 _ **"Oh, look. The princess has decided-"** _ Jigg couldn't even make it through his sentence before Pacifica took another swing. Aiming for his chest this time. He jumped backward, just in time for Gideon to jump at him again. Gideon dig his best to wrap his wooden limbs around Jiggs back, and he dug his fingers into the black, fiery surface of Jigg's body in desperate attempt to find a grip.

Jigg roared in frustration, as the black flames on his body licked at Gideons wooden frame. Gideon could feel any of the pain. Not from the flames, nor from the many mouths on Jiggs body that had started biting at him. Trying desperately to get him to let go.

But Gideon Gleeful was a lot of things. And stubborn was definitely one of them.

As Jigg tried his best to reach behind him and rip the annoying puppet-boy off of his back, Pacifica grit her teeth, and seized the opportunity. This time when she swung the axe, it lodged itself square in his chest. Jigg roared, although whether it was out of pain or surprise was hard to tell.

Pacifica quickly pulled the axe out of his chest, and gave a guttural scream as she swung again. Jigg jumped backwards, and the axe found itself embedded into the floor. All of the mouths were screaming in fury, as Jigg's hand seemed to grow and stretch. Pacifica pulled the axe out of the floor just in time to use the handle to block a swipe from Jiggs large fiery hand.

Instead of retracting his hand to go for another swipe at her, Jigg grabbed the handle of the axe. Pacifica grit her teeth. She was holding the axe with both hands. One next to the blade on one end, and the other hand on the end of the handle. Jiggs hand was clutching down on the middle of the axe, and pushing down with a tremendous force.

The mouths began to laugh hysterically, as Pacifica felt her knees buckle from underneath her. Pretty soon, she had her back against the floor, and she was pushing against his with all her might. Suddenly, Jiggs hand seemed to burn through the handle, and she rolled to the side just before his fist crashed into the floor.

She got to her feet, still holding the bladed side of the axe, with only part of the handle left. The other half of the long wooden handle, she threw to the side. The second she was on her feet, she ran in the opposite direction. As fast as her feet could carry her.

Jigg growled, as he used his newly enlarged hand to rip Gideon off of his back, and throw him at her. Gideon flew through the air and crashed into her head-first, knocking her back off her feet.

Dipper grit his teeth until his jaw screamed in protest, as he watched on from the sidelines. He looked at the hose. And then back at the water pump in the wall. It had taken some tinkering, but he it looked like he had managed to get it to do what he wanted it too. Now, he just had to wait for the pressure to build. It was already high. But he needed to make it insane.

His hands were still trembling as he picked up the hose. He was in worse shape than he looked. Much worse. There was still a viscous, searing pain spreading throughout the inside of his skull. And it was taking everything he had to keep his body parts following orders. He carefully placed his hand on the handle near the nozzle, and did his best to keep himself from fading back into unconsciousness.

Lightning lit up the room in a terrific flash, as the rain continued to fall outside. Pacifica and Gideon were trying to pick themselves up off the floor, as Jigg stood over them. Behind them was the broken window. Beyond it, a long fall into the darkness below.

Pacifica gripped the axe blade in her hand, and grit her teeth. And Gideon tightened his hands into fists once more, as he slowly got to his feet.

Jigg laughed. _**"Wow. You know. We're actually impressed. Look at you. You're really trying, huh? You're really doin' your best to put up a fight. It's so precious. Especially comin' from the likes of you two."**_ he said. **_"We mean- Look at you. Two o' the most spoiled brats in the whole world. Standin' in front of me... Like you think you stand a chance. Then again- we guess it ain't the_ most _surprisin' thing in the world. After all, you two 've always been arrogant. And we guess now, it's finally gonna get you ripped to shreds. About time, are we right?"_**

Gideon and Pacifica didn't so much as acknowledge each others presence. They simply stood there. Both primed and ready.

There was another flash of lightning, followed quickly by a massive roar of thunder.

Jigg watched them both as thousands of sadistic grins formed all across his body. And then, he noticed something.

Someone was missing. The mouths licked their lips. _'Did we kill him already? If so, then maybe it would be fun to parade the body around a bit... Just to watch 'em squirm...'_ he thought.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the air.

"PACIFICA!" bellowed Dipper.

In an instant, Pacifica grabbed Gideon by the shoulder, and jumped to the side. As Dipper suddenly stepped out from behind one of the pillars, holding the fire-hose. The entire thing had ballooned, and it was easy to feel the intense amount of pressure inside as Dipper pointed the nozzle at Jigg, and pushed down on the lever.

An enormous jet of water sprayed out- hard enough to knock Dipper off of his feet, and slam him into the wall. Even with the sudden jolt however, Dipper managed to keep to powerful stream of water on target, as it crashed violently against Jigg. Jigg felt himself being pushed towards the broken window, and the darkness below. He roared as he tried to push back- but it was no use. As he teetered on the edge, using every ounce of strength he had to fight back, Pacifica and Gideon approached him from either side.

Pacifica grit her teeth. "TAKE THIS YOU CREEPY _JERK_!" she bellowed, as she swung the axe head into his torso with all of her might.

And then- he fell. Gideon and Pacifica listened quietly to the sound of his roar quietly fading as he fell into the darkness below.

The jet-stream of water shooting out of the fire-hose suddenly stopped. There was a pause, as Dipper glanced down at it. And then, the fire-hose'popped'. Sending a wave of water splashing all around. Dipper let out a weary sigh, as he dropped the remnants of the hose, and joined Gideon and Pacifica at the broken window.

Pacifica took a deep breath.

"Is it over?" she muttered.

Dipper squinted down at the earth below. There was a flash of lightning, highlighting the grass underneath... Along with a massive patch of black. And nothing else.

Dipper sighed. "For now... I think so." he muttered.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

There were a few small lights high up on some of the tall stone pillars around the ballroom. It took a while to find the right lightswitch, but after spending an awkward period of silence in the dark- save for the occasional flashes of lightning- the room was soon lit in a bright yellow glow.

Gideon had been staring out the broken window the entire time, seemingly lost in thought. There were a set of enormous black curtains hanging on either side of the now broken window. Once the room had been bathed in light, Pacifica slowly unravelled the curtains and began to pull them closed.

Gideon spared the dark abyss outside one more look, before walking away. His clothes, and his body, were charred black. And there were teeth marks all over his small wooden chest, and his arms. He tried not to look at them. He couldn't feel anything. Even when he moved. He had to focus his attention on his feet just to convince himself that he wasn't floating through the air.

He supposed that it was a good thing that he felt so... numb. After all, he was in pretty bad shape. And had always had something of a weak constitution when it came to pain.

But it was still... unsettling. It felt as if he was having an out of body experience of some kind. A _permanent_ one.

He shuddered.

As he approached the exit, he stopped. "I'm goin' to go an' change. I'll be back..." he called out. He didn't bother turning around as he spoke, nor did he bother to wait for an answer.

Dipper quietly watched him leave. And then, he got back to work. He could feel his consciousness trying to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let it. He still had things to do.

When Gideon returned, Dipper and Pacifica were waiting for him in the middle of the room.

Pacifica put her hands on her hips, and scowled. "What took you so long?" she demanded.

Gideon huffed. "I didn't ask ya'll to _wait_." he growled, as he made his way towards them. He was wearing a fresh blue suit, complete with a string tie and a pair of expensive looking shoes. They were old clothes. They were still a little wide on him- but it was the best he could do. To complete the outfit, he was wear a large white wig.

It looked almost as if he had suddenly grown his old hairstyle back. In fact, his entire outfit looked exactly like the one he used to wear back when he was still doing shows in the Tent of Telepathy back in Gravity Falls.

Dipper and Pacifica each raised an eyebrow at him, but neither of them said anything.

Once Gideon had joined them, Dipper cleared his throat. "Alright... I..." he took a deep breath as he shook off another dizzy spell. "S-sorry..." he muttered. "Anyway- I looked over the markings on the floor... They were what activated the 'statue spell'. And it looks like I should be able to use them to _reverse_ the spell as well. First though... I'll have to release their hearts. They should be able to find their hosts all by themselves. When everything... Is done... They should all be back to normal."

He wiped a layer of sweat from his forehead. "Okay... So... Is everyone ready?" he asked.

"Just get _on_ with it." muttered Gideon.

Dipper ignored him, as he carefully pulled the crystal bottle out of his trenchcoat. Then, he popped open the lid.

There was a sudden burst of color, as a stream of gold shot out of the bottle and into the air like a geyser. The gold began to separate into dozens of little balls that slowly drifted downward like golden snowflakes. As each golden sphere touched a statue, the statues began to glow.

Once all the statues seemed to be glowing, Dipper got onto his knees, and put his hand on one of the symbols on the floor. He began to mutter something, and each of the symbols began to flow. And then, all of a sudden- they began to 'pop' like bubbles.

First one symbol. Then another, and another. The floor began to shake as the symbols popped out of existence.

Then- there was a blinding flash of light.

And all of a sudden, the statues were human again. Some of them were gasping desperately for air, and others were crying. But they were all alive.

Dipper breathed a long sigh of relief, as his light-headedness slowly took over. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, to find Pacifica smiling down at him.

"We did it." she muttered. "I told you we would."

Diper smiled a little, and nodded.

Pacifica had barely managed to help him to his feet before Dipper found himself being tackled back to the ground. "Dipper!" exclaimed Mabel, as she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as tightly as she could. "You're here! I thought- I mean, I saw-... But you're here!" she sputtered. There were tears running down he face, as she let out a quiet sob.

"I-... I'm so glad... You're still _alive_..." she whispered.

Dipper was only able let out a long wheeze in response.

Luckily for Dipper's rib-cage, Mabel took that as a sign to let go. After helping Dipper get back on his feet, Mabel looked around. Most of the decorations had been destroyed. Some of them were wet, and others had burned. And all of the party goers were sitting on the floor, looking as if they had just been awoken from a terrible nightmare.

Mabel sighed.

She had spent the whole day working on the Valentines Day dance with Grenda, Candy and Mr Skellington. All to give Dipper, and everyone else the perfect Valentines Day. And now... It was all ruined.

She slumped her shoulders, and sighed again.

And she didn't even manage to find a date for Dipper. Or for herself for that matter.

"Sorry, Mabel... It was a puppet... Turned into a person... And then into a fire-demon..." muttered Dipper, with a sigh. "You know the drill."

Mabel sighed. "It's okay, Dipper... I'm sorry I didn't find a girl for you to go to the dance with..." she muttered.

"I told you... You don't have to worry about that stuff, Mabel. If I really wanted a date or something... I'd find one myself." said Dipper.

"Well, yeah but... I know you won't. Because... I know you still think about Lillith..." muttered Mabel.

Dipper shuddered at the sound of her name. He was still feeling the after effects of being tortured by Jigg. The last thing he needed was the familiar throb of pain in his chest he got whenever he remembered... _her_. He grimaced, and shook his head. "That's..." he trailed off mid-sentence, and frowned a little. "That's true. But I don't think finding someone else is going to help. It might just make it _worse_."

"But what if it doesn't? What if... What if you find someone really special. Someone who makes you wanna forget about everything else?" asked Mabel.

Dipper sighed. "I don't-"

All of a sudden, Dipper was interrupted by a tall, thin man with a Jack-o-Lantern on his head. "Mabel! There you are! I have been looking all over!" exclaimed Mr Skellington, as he rushed over to her side.

Mabel looked at him, and then back down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Mr Skellington..." she muttered. "It looks like this Valentines Day is kind of..." she trailed off, as he shoulders slumped once again.

"What are you talking about? This is great! I've heard of this sort of thing before. The 'highs and lows of love'. What a perfect way to capture the feeling of this day of love!" said Mr Skellington. "Now all you have to do is bring them back up again!"

Mabel sighed, and shook her head. "No... You don't get it. I mean- look around! Everything's ruined... And everybody's _sad_. It's... It's over, Mr Skellington..." she muttered.

"Now now- Let's hear none of that! Who's the girl who taught me all about this wonderful pink lovey-dovey holiday? Why, you're the foremost expert in the field!" exclaimed Mr Skellington. "The decorations are only decorations. They do not represent the true spirit of the day! You taught me that he true spirit is _inside_ of you! It is the love! _That's_ what Valentines is about!"

"You're... You're right, Mr Skellington! It's about the _love_!" Mabel exclaimed. "And even if everyone's gotten all down... Well then, all I need to do is just need to cheer 'em back up with the power of love! Also- music! Valentines Day won't be defeated so easily!"

Mabel turned to look at Dipper.

Dipper smiled at her. "Go on. Go do whatever you're gonna do." he said.

Mabel grinned, and raced over to the other side of the room. There, the members of the live band they had hired to perform at the dance had gathered around their previously abandoned instruments. They all looked dazed and confused, and one of them was still weeping uncontrollably.

But then again- they had been like that _before_ they had been turned into statues and back again.

Mabel skidded to halt in front of them, and pulled their microphone off of its stand. She turned it on, sending a high pitched whine throughout the entire room. Everyone winced, and turned their attention to the source of the noise.

"Good evening everybody! I know you're all feeling weird and weepy right now- But Mabel the Queen of Love is here to make it all better!" she exclaimed. "Guys! Play the eighties-est, cheesiest, most crowd pleasing-est song you can think of!"

One of the band members thought for a moment. "Uh... You mean, 'Death, Metal and Other Nightmares'?" he asked.

Somewhere amongst the crowd, Mr Skellington looked excited.

Mabel frowned. "What? No! Just do 'Don't Start Un-Believing!'" she exclaimed.

The band members sighed. "Fiiiine." they groaned.

Somewhere amongst the crowd, Mr Skellington slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

Mabel gave the microphone to the band and jumped into the crowd to join Candy and Grenda, as the band began to fill the room with music.

The music slowly began to lift everyone's spirits. And before too long, some of the couples had even started to pick themselves up, and start dancing. The air in the room seemed to brighten, and Mabel was just about to start dancing herself, when she noticed something on the floor.

It looked like a small white rectangle, with the word 'Pacifica' written across it in small pink studs. Mabel picked it up, and gave it a closer look. Flipping it over, she realised that it was a smart-phone. She stared at the screen for a moment.

"I guess this belongs to Pacifica..." she muttered.

Without thinking, she pressed a small button on it's side, and the phone lit up.

Mabel gasped.

On the screen, was a picture of Dipper. She recognized it from the first article that the Piedmont Times had ever written about him during their first week home after their long, memorable summer in Gravity Falls. The picture showed Dipper posing proudly for the camera, with an enormous smile- holding a small birdcage with a pixie in it. The pixie was filing it's nails, and looking bored.

Mabel smiled a little. It was a nice picture. And it had been a long time since she had seen her brother smile like that. She remembered the article that the picture had been taken for. 'Local Boy Captures Thief'. For some reason, the paper had neglected to mention that the thief was a _pixie_. Nor did anyone seem to make a big deal about it. But it had been a big deal for Dipper. It was the first case he had ever taken on as the towns 'Paranormal Investigator'.

Mabel stared at the picture for a while, and grinned. Then- she suddenly stopped.

'Wait- Why would Pacifica have this picture? And as her wallpaper, too...' she thought.

Then, suddenly, something clicked into place.

Across the room, Pacifica was being swarmed by people. Her clothes were an absolute mess. Luckily, some of them seemed to think that is was a new kind of fashion called 'Post-apocalypse chic'. As she tried her best to back away from the crowd, she was already being asked to dance by rich boys who seemed to have already abandoned the girls they had actually invited.

All of a sudden, she felt something grab her by the arm- and pull her away.

By the time she was able to even register what was happening, she had already been pulled behind a pillar across the room and out of view from the rest of the crowd. Mabel let go of her arm, and cleared her throat. Pacifica was about to ask her why she had pulled her across the room- and maybe thank her for it- when she noticed what Mabel was holding in her hand.

Pacifica's mouth snapped shut. Mabel had her phone. And her wallpaper was lit up brightly across its screen.

She gulped, as Mabel put on the most serious face she could muster.

"Pacifica..." she muttered. "Do you wanna make kissy faces at my bro-bro?"

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

A man clad in a long black hood made his way through the forest. His face hidden underneath a long black hood. In one hand, he carried Jigg's unconscious form by the scruff of his neck.

The man was completely silent, as the forest itself seemed to shrink away from his very presence.

Further in the forest, the man slowly came to a stop. Standing in front of him, was another man. Dressed in a fedora, a black and red striped sweater, and long brown pants. His skin was covered in hundreds of eyes, all of different shapes and sizes. They blinked out of sync, as they all focused on the man in the cloak.

All of the eyes seemed to glare at once, as he slowly rose his gloved hand in front of him, showing off the blades.."What the hell're you supposed to be?" growled Coach Krueger.

The man in the cloak was silent.

A few minutes later, the man in the cloak was walking through the forest once again. Holding Jigg in one hand, and Krueger in the other.

* * *

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **(AN:** ... So it turns out this chapter actually turned out to be *super* long. Sorry about that. Also, a big thank you to the many people who were kind enough to review my story. I really hope you liked this chapter. I might need a little break before I start work on the next one... But I promise it'll happen sooner or later. I've got big plans...)

(PS: To avoid confusion- allow me to remind readers that Coach Krueger was introduced earlier in the story.)


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: One Week Later...

It was cold.

Her expensive shoes were in her hand, as she walked across the empty streets. They were broken. And if she didn't keep a careful eye out for any shattered glass or rubble, her bare feet would probably meet the same fate.

She grit her teeth.

The town was empty. The remains of any people were the wet, soggy clothes they had left behind. They decorated the side walk, the roads, and the inside of a few cars.

With every empty outfit she found laid out in front of her, she felt a deep sickness in her stomach. They were all covered in a layers of sickly green goo. It made her stomach churn.

Every now and again, she would come across a set of clothes that she somehow... recognized. And she would feel he knees threaten to buckle from beneath her.

But she couldn't stop. Not for anything.

So she kept moving. Biting back the tears, and the fear.

The cold was getting worse, as night slowly fell over the ruins of the town.

It felt like she had been shuffling forward for an eternity. Trembling from the cold, and feeling any remains of hope she had slowly die away.

"Pacifica?"

Then, she froze. The clouds in the sky began to part, bathing the streets in the dull glow of the full moon.

He was standing there. One the other side of the road.

"Pacifica!" he yelled, as he raced toward her.

She reacted without thinking. Her legs moving faster than she thought possible, as she raced towards him.

They met in the middle of the road. She flung her arms around him, and squeezed with everything she had. And she let out a sharp gasp, when she felt him do the same.

Tears began streaming down her cheeks. She could feel herself trying to say something... But she just couldn't find the words.

They stayed there, together. Under the moonlight.

Her body was rushed with warmth, as everything else seemed to suddenly fall away from her mind.

They pulled away from each other, just to enough to stare into each others eyes.

"Dipper..." she whispered.

Time slowed to a crawl. She pursed her lips, as she slowly moved her face towards him. Her heart froze in place, as everything around them seemed to melt away.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Pacifica's eyes suddenly fluttered open. She found herself lying in bed, with her arms tightly wrapped around her pillow, and her face pressed down on it. As she slowly pulled away from it, she found that she had left a small puddle of drool in her wake.

She groaned, and rubbed her eyes. She still felt incredibly drowsy, and the last parts of her dream seemed to keep playing over and over again in her head. She thought about trying to get back to sleep, in the hopes of finding the same dream again and picking up where it had left off.

She let out a weary sigh.

That never worked. And besides- dreaming about Dipper Pines was the last thing in the world she wanted to do. She took a long, deep breath, as her eyelids slowly slid closed again. There had been other odd things about that dream too... But no matter how much she tried to remember them, her mind seemed to go straight back to Dipper.

She bit her lip, as she tried to tell herself to focus on something else. _Anything_ else.

"Pacifica?"

Her eyes shot open at the sound of the voice. She sat up in a flash, to find Dipper Pines himself standing next to her bed. He was dressed, as always, in his school uniform with a long brown trench coat on over it.

Pacifica blushed, and shook her head. "What're you doing here?" she grumbled.

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Uh... I'm your room mate, remember?" he asked, with a small smile.

Pacifica slowly hid her face with her pillow, hoping against hope that he hadn't noticed the state she was in. There was drool running down her chin, her eyes were still full of sleep- and her hair was an absolute disaster. But more than any of that- she didn't want him to notice how... _red_ she was getting. And apparently, being embarrassed by how embarrassed she was only seemed to make things worse.

Finally she grit her teeth. "No." she spat. "I mean, what are you doing standing next to my _bed_ , you _creep_."

Dipper rolled his eyes. " _Someone's_ a morning person..." he muttered.

Pacifica huffed, and folded her arms across her chest. "Do you _want_ something?" she growled.

Dipper nodded. "Uh-huh. I want you to hurry up and get out of bed. It's almost breakfast, and I'm guessing you want to spend your usual eternity and a half getting ready?" he asked.

Pacifica let out a high pitched yelp. She never slept in. Not ever. Naturally, she had to blame Dipper for this. She shot him a glare before launching herself out of bed, and into the bathroom. Leaving Dipper standing there, with a bemused look on his face.

"Huh... I'm surprised she doesn't sleep with that, uh-... 'Beauty cream' stuff on her face. Y'know?"

Dipper's bemused look instantly fell into a grimace.

The Not-Wendy was there. Sitting on his bed, chewing gum and flicking through a magazine. She had her legs crossed, and her long red hair falling over half of her face.

Dipper felt the usual twist of pain in his chest, and did his best to shake it off.

"What do you want now?" he groaned.

Not-Wendy shot him a smile. "Oh, I dunno. Just thought I'd check up on my favorite guy." she said, with a wink.

Dipper blushed and grimaced simultaneously. "Wendy doesn't talk like that." he muttered.

Not-Wendy chuckled to herself. "Well, she might. You know- if she really _liked_ the guy." she said.

Dipper grit his teeth. "Just tell me what you want, and go _away_." he growled.

Not-Wendy blinked at him. Then, she slowly turned her eyes away from him, and frowned. "Sorry..." she muttered. "I didn't mean to..."

There was a period of silence, as Not-Wendy seemed to struggle to find the right words. Finally, she shook her head and decided to move on. She pulled the gum out of her mouth, stuck it in the magazine- and then threw it off to the side. It faded away before it hit the ground.

"I really am here to check up on you, Dipper. You haven't been sleeping recently, have you?" she asked.

Dipper frowned. "I'm always 'not sleeping recently'." he muttered. "So?"

There was another moment of silence, as the Not-Wendy shifted her gaze to her shoes. "Well... There is something else, but... I'm not really supposed to talk about it." she said, in a quiet voice.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Of course not. So you're here for no reason other than to bug me- is that it?"

Not-Wendy slowly shook her head. "No, Dipper... Everything happens for a reason." she said, as her lips slowly curled into a smile. "Even this."

Suddenly, the bathroom door burst open. A flood of steam poured out, as Pacifica stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a long, pink towel.

If it were possible, Dippers eyes would have popped out of his skull. Instead, however- they just tried their best, and settled with that.

Pacifica hurriedly rushed across the room and swung open her wardrobe. She had already pulled out a fresh uniform, when she noticed the boy sitting on the other side of the room.

There was a moment of silence, as their eyes met.

Pacifica's face almost exploded with red, as she suddenly raced back into the bathroom- so fast that she looked like a blur- and slammed the door behind her. There were a few minutes of silence, as Pacifica blushed a deeper red than she had ever thought possible, and Dipper stared at the bathroom door with his mouth slightly agape.

Finally, Pacifica took a deep breath and opened the door just enough for her to be able to shoot Dipper an angry glare.

"WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING THERE!?" she bellowed.

"Uh- Well, uh-..." he muttered. His brain seemed to have gone blank. Replaced by an image of Pacifica. He shook his head in a desperate bid to regain his senses. Luckily, it seemed to work. And he quickly formed a frown.

"Hey! It's not my fault! Why don't you try making sure there's no one here before you burst out like that? Or at least give me a warning!" said Dipper.

"Shut up! I'm in a hurry, you jerk! I have _got_ to be on time!" yelled Pacifica.

Dipper sighed. "Look- You... I mean- You were wearing a towel, okay? I didn't see anything. S-so... Let's just forget this ever happened... Okay?" asked Dipper.

"If you _had_ seen anything, I would sue you for every penny you have, _Pines_!" growled Pacifica, as she shut the bathroom door in an angry huff.

Dipper sighed. He did his best to ignore Not-Wendy. She was caught up in a fit of hysterical laughter. Dipper grit his teeth, and made his way toward the door to the hall. Whenever Pacifica started threatening to sue, that was generally the sign to walk away.

It definitely had nothing to do with his long standing fear of lawyers.

Dipper shuddered.

" _Lawyers_..." he muttered, with a wince.

Dipper closed the door, leaving Not-Wendy alone on his bed, chuckling lightly to herself. She listened intently for the sound of his fading footsteps. With a mischievous grin, she sprawled herself out on Dippers bed. Lying on her back, she stared up at the ceiling as the giddiness in her chest slowly disappeared.

She rose her hand out in front of her face, and watched it slowly start to fade away.

"Guess I'll be back to bug you later, Dip..." she muttered.

The bathroom door suddenly burst open, and Pacifica walked out in a huff. She was wearing her school uniform, and there was a redness in her cheeks that seemed to refuse to go away. She was about to leave, when she noticed something on Dippers bed.

Then, it disappeared.

Pacifica frowned. "I should have known he'd drive me completely crazy one day..." she muttered.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

"I wanna punch her face!"

"Do not punch her face, Grenda."

"But I wanna! So _bad_!"

Dipper carefully slid into his seat across from Candy and Grenda, and didn't make a sound. Candy and Grenda, like all the other students in the dining room, seemed to be in the middle of a loud conversation. So instead of drawing attention to himself, he carefully picked out something for breakfast from the vast spread of breakfast foods that were laid all over the table.

"Why do you want to punch her face in the first place, Grenda?" asked Candy, as she carefully cut her waffle into several tiny pieces, and then popped one of them into her mouth.

Grenda stabbed her fork through a stack of pancakes, and somehow managed to fit them all into her mouth at once. She chewed a little, and then swallowed. "She called me burly! Can you believe that!? _Me_! I mean- I don't have _that_ much hair on my chest!" she exclaimed.

Dipper shuddered, as he briefly considered stuffing some pancakes into his ears so that he wouldn't have to listen to the rest of their conversation. Instead, however- he tried to focus on his own thoughts and block everything else out. It was a little technique he had picked up to help him focus. Unfortunately, all that kept coming up was an image of Pacifica wearing nothing but her towel. So he blushed, and tried to focus on his cereal instead.

Candy blinked. "You have hair on your chest, Grenda?" she asked.

Grenda sighed, and nodded. "Yeah... It happened about a week ago. It's all green and... _leafy_."

Candy thought for a moment, and then shrugged. "Well, I'm sure it is nothing to worry about." she said.

"Yeah, I guess so." muttered Grenda.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them, as they both went back to eating their breakfast. Neither one of them seemed to notice Dipper sitting across from them. But, even if they did- Dipper doubted that they would give him anything more than a nod, or a 'good morning'.

It wasn't that they weren't on good terms or anything. They just weren't really _his_ friends. They were Mabels.

It had been the same way back in Piedmont. He had never really had any friends of his own. The only people who came close were all Mabels friends- and the atmosphere was always a little awkward when she wasn't around.

Of course- he did have _one_ friend of his own. Unfortunately, that ended the day he tried to tell her that his feelings for her had grown into something... more. And she had responded by trying to rip his heart out of his chest.

Dipper frowned. It had been almost a week since the last time he had thought about Lillith. He had hoped to make it to his personal record- a week and a half. Apparently, that wasn't going to happen. He quietly shook his head, as he tried to think about something a little less painful.

The image of Pacifica wearing only a towl suddenly came roaring back . Dipper blushed, and grimaced. Apparently, his brain wasn't going to be satisfied unless he thought about one girl, or the other.

He sighed.

Suddenly, a loud voice cut through the air. "Hey, gals! Morning, Dipper! Sorry- I got kinda caught up!" yelled Mabel, as she approached the table. Grenda quickly turned to face her. "Oh, hey Mabel! You'll never geuss what one of those rich snobby girls just called me!" she bellowed.

As Mabel stood there and patiently listened to Grenda, Candy seemed to finally notice Dipper sitting across from her. She offered him an awkward little wave. Dipper returned the gesture, and turned his attention back to his sister. He knew that look in her eyes all too well. She was up to something.

Mabel gently placed her hand on Grenda's shoulder. "That's awful, Grenda! But luckily- I think I've got something that should cheer you right up! Candy! Drumroll, please!" she announced.

Candy nodded, and picked up her knife and fork. As she tapped the against the table, Mabel took a deep breath. "Ladies and Dipper! It is my honor to introduce two new members to our lil' group of friends!" she announced. With that, she took a dramatic step to the side, to reveal two people who had apparently been standing behind her the entire time.

Dipper frowned a little.

He recognized the guy on the right in an instant. He was wearing a school uniform, a pair of black sunglasses and a big fake mustache. He looked nervous, as he stood there absent mindedly twirling his mustache. The uniform hung loose on his thin frame, and his face and his fingers looked unmistakably... wooden. There was no question that this was Gideon. He was still wearing the big white pompadour wig, after all. Plus- he was a _puppet_.

Dipper's frown deepened as he looked at Gideon. Then, he shifted his gaze to the guy standing next to him.

Dipper didn't really recognize the other guy. He had sort of an 'elegant' air around him, along with long brown hair and big blue eyes. He was wearing a school uniform with a variety of golden buttons and medals on it, and a pair of dainty white gloves. Standing there, trembling ever so slightly, he looked like a frightened little puppy.

Grenda scowled. " _Marius_..." she hissed. "What's he doing here? Didn't we agree never to bring our ex-boyfriends to the dining table!?"

"Aw, come on Grenda- He just got back from Australia, and he doesn't know anyone here..." said Mabel.

Marius politely cleared his throat. "Um... I am from _Austria_... Not 'Australia'..." he said in a quiet voice. "And... Grenda... If I-"

Grenda cut him off mid-sentence. "No! I don't want him here! Tell him to jump into a kangaroo's pouch and go back where he came from!" she huffed.

Marius slouched a little, as he turned to face Mabel with downcast eyes. "... Danke schön, Mabel... It... It was nice of you to try. But... Maybe it would be better if I... If I left..." he muttered. "I am sure I will be finding my way around... Somehow..."

With that, Marius turned to walk away, with his shoulders slumped.

Grenda stared at him for a moment, before letting out a loud sigh. "Fine! But park it over ther, okay!" she yelled.

Marius spun around in an instant, with a big bright smile. "Danke schön, Grenda." he said.

Grenda looked away from him, and muttered something to herself as Marius walked around the table, and sat down next to Dipper.

Mabel felt her chest swell with pride, as she theatrically spun around and pointed at Gideon. "And also- It turns out I need a history tutor! And Gill here was assigned to help me out! Right, Gill?" she exclaimed.

Gideon kept his attention focused on his shoes.

"What? You don't need a history tutor! _I'll_ help you." said Dipper.

Mabel rolled her eyes. " _You're_ the reason I'm doing so bad! I mean- you should have seen the look on the teachers face when I said that the fall of the Roman Empire was caused by ghosts and lizard-people!"

"That _is_ how it happened!" exclaimed Dipper.

As Dipper and Mabel argued about the 'true' history of the world, Grenda and Candy resumed their conversation and Marius took a few short breaks from staring at Grenda to quietly eat his breakfast. During all of this, Gideon quietly slipped away.

It was another loud morning for all the 'normal' students. In the VIP section however, things were mostly quiet. Even the usual chatter about the latest gossip seemed noticeably absent. When Pacifica finally made it to her spot at the table, she was glad for the moment of quiet. Her brain was still completely frazzled after what happened back in her room.

First the dream, then the wake up call- not to mention what happened shorty after... It had been an active morning for her. And the day had barely even started.

She took a deep breath and tried to relax. And to get the image of Dippers blushing face out of her head.

She looked over the food that had been laid out for breakfast, and carefully picked out an expensive looking crystal glass filled with yogurt, muesli and berries. She ate it faster than she had expected too- and without thinking, she quickly grabbed another one. Which seemed to draw glances from the others at the table.

Pacifica did her best to ignore them. She briefly considered taking a muffin as well- but she knew better. If she ate too much, they would start calling her fat. And if she ate too little- they would say that she had an eating disorder or something.

She had to play it safe. So, once she had finished her second yogurt, she sat the cup down on the table and sat there with her hands folded in her lap. Slowly, the people that had been staring at her seemed to turn away. Looking for someone else to sneer at.

She stayed perfectly still, until people began to file out of the dining room.

She joined them, doing her best to keep her perfect, elegant walking posture. And to keep her nose in the air at all times. It had become second nature to her, so she didn't even need to think about it anymore. It just happened.

She kept her poise through the dining room, and into the hallway. And then, she heard a familiar voice.

"Pacifica!"

Pacifica grimaced, as she watched Mabel weave through the crowd of students until she was standing directly in front of her.

"Hey! I wanted to talk to you." said Mabel.

Pacifica took a deep breath, and tried her best to look as apathetic as possible. "Oh?" she muttered. "Can it wait? I have to go to class."

Mabel grinned. "Don't worry- it won't take a second. So, listen. I've gotta do a whole bunch of studying if I wanna get through History. And for some reason, the ol' Bro-bo is getting all weird about me studying alone with my tutor. And, I was thinking- Grenda and Candy said they could use some help too... So I was gonna set up a little study group! It'll be super fun! Aaaaand- Dipper'll be there!" she said, as she playfully nudged at Pacifica. "It might be a nice chance for you guys to spend a little time together. If you know what I mean... So- what do you think?"

Pacifica sighed. "I spend enough time with him already..." she muttered.

Mabel blinked. "You what?"

"Huh? Uh- Nothing! I just, uh... I can't! Okay?" sputtered Pacifica.

Mabel frowned a little. "Are you sure?"

Pacifica nodded. "Yes. I'm very sure. Besides- I already told you. There's no way I could ever like that weirdo brother of yours! Okay?" she said. She looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief that the other rich kids were out of earshot.

Mabel sighed."C'mon, Pacifica... It'll be fun. I promise."

Pacifica shook her head. "I'm not going." she muttered. Without waiting for a response, Pacifica walked away as fast as she could.

Mabel watched her walk away with a sigh. "Ooooh, your a tough one Pacifica. But don't think that you've heard the last of me. Because you haven't. Not by a long shot." she muttered.

Mabel paused for a moment, and looked around. She rubbed her chin as her brows suddenly furrowed with thought. "I wonder if it'd be totally crazy to start doing an evil laugh right now... I mean- it's just not a diabolical plan if you don't do the laugh... right?"

As Pacifica turned a corner, she could swear that she heard an evil laugh trailing from behind.

She shuddered.

'I... I _imagined_ that... right?' she thought.

She shuddered again.

Nope. Something told her she hadn't.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper jolted upward in his seat, as another pen came whizzing through the air- and embedded itself into the surface of his desk.

"Pines!" bellowed Mrs Voorhees. "Wake up! This ain't nap time!"

Dipper rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Sorry... Ma'am..." he muttered.

The first class of the day always felt like the longest. And there was just something about his desk in Mrs Voorhees' classroom that was just perfect for drifting off for some much needed sleep. Which was why his desk had so many marks all over it from the many, many pens that Mrs Voorhees had managed to stick into it from far across the room.

As Dipper propped his head up on the desk and struggled to keep his eyelids open, Mrs Voorhees grit her teeth. "Oh, you _will_ be sorry..." she growled.

Mrs Voorhees was in the middle of picking out her biggest, sharpest pen- when the classroom doors suddenly swung open and everyone in the classroom turned to face the doorway. Mr Valvatorez stepped into the room with an uncharacteristically serious look on his face.

He walked over to Mrs Voorhees, and whispered something to her. Mrs Voorhees slumped her shoulders in disappointment, and sighed.

Mrs Voorhees cleared her throat, and took a deep breath. "Dipper Pines! Pacifica Northwest! You two 've been summoned to the Principals office. Follow Mr Valvatorez." she announced.

Dipper blinked. And across the room, Pacifica shrunk against the glances of the other students.

"What's this all about?" asked Dipper.

Mrs Voorhees snorted. "When did I say you got to ask questions? Just get outta here!" she bellowed.

Dipper let out a long sigh as he picked up his books and made his way towards the doorway. Pacifica on the other hand, stayed glued to her seat.

Being sent to the Principals office- especially during class- was unheard of. Even the worst students in the school never made it to the Principals office. As far as anybody knew nobody had _ever_ gone to the Principals office.

She bit her lip. Everyone in the room was staring at her now. Waiting for her to make her move. Would she refuse? Would she give a loud speech about how much money her parents donated to the school? As a rich, snobby elite- she was expected to give the performance of a life time. She could swear she could see some of the students pulling out buckets of popcorn and leaning back in their seats to enjoy the show.

Pacifica wrung her hands together as she struggled to figure out what exactly was the right move. What could she do to diffuse the situation? To stop people from spreading gossip? If people talked- there was no way it wouldn't reach her parents. No _way_.

"Miss Northwest."

Pacifica froze. Mr Valvatorez was now standing directly in front of her desk. She hadn't noticed him so much as take a step from where he had been before. It was as if he had moved across the room in an instant.

"This... This is serious, Miss Northwest. Please hurry along. I would like to see this done in as little time as possible." said Mr Valvatorez.

Pacifica gave him a slow nod. Then, she quickly gathered her books and joined Dipper at the doorway. Mr Valvatorez followed close behind.

Once he had shut the doors behind them, the entire classroom began talking amongst themselves, each one of them presenting their own theory on what had just happened.

Mrs Voorhees pulled a drawer out of her desk, and set it down on her desk. She stretched her fingers, and took a deep breath. The drawer was filled with pens.

"Everyone... BE QUIET!" she bellowed. What followed was what sounded like machine gun fire, as every desk in the classroom was assaulted by a barrage of pens.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

"I wonder if this is about that haunted tea party..." muttered Dipper.

Pacifica blinked. "What?"

"Oh- Uh, nothing." muttered Dipper, with a nervous cough.

Dipper and Pacifica followed Mr Valvatorez through the hallways, up and down different sets of stairs, and through a few different doors that only seemed to lead to more hallways. The three of them were completely silent for about ten minutes before Dipper finally spoke up.

"Hey... Pacifica?" he whispered.

Pacifica frowned a little. "What is it?"

"Are you... Are you okay?" asked Dipper.

Pacifica shifted her eyes away from his. "...I'm fine." she muttered.

"Is this... About this morning?" asked Dipper.

Pacifica grit her teeth. "I thought we agreed that _that_ didn't _happen_..." she growled.

Dipper blushed and cleared his throat. "Oh, uh... Yeah..." he muttered. "...Sorry..."

An awkward silence fell over them, as they followed Mr Valvatorez down another flight of stairs. Every now and again, one of them would glance at the other, and then quickly look away.

The trio finally came to a stop in the middle of a long grey hallway. Unlike the rest of the school hallways, the walls were completely bare. There were no paintings, no fancy looking lights, not even any wallpaper. The walls, the ceiling and the floor were all just a bare, grey surface. Smooth, and somehow off-putting.

Dipper frowned. 'There are no lights in this hallway... So how is it still so brightly lit?' he thought. He looked down at his feet, and his frown deepened. He wasn't casting a shadow. And neither were Pacifica or Mr Valvatorez.

Mr Valvatorez gestured toward a tall mirror on the wall that Dipper could swear had not been there before. "This is the door. Knock twice, and it will open. I will wait for you here." he said.

Dipper and Pacifica glanced at each other, and this time their eyes met. They quickly looked away again, as they approached the mirror.

They cast no reflection on its surface. And neither did Mr Valvatorez.

Dipper and Pacifica drew a few deep, nervous breaths.

And then, they knocked.

The mirror slowly moved to the side.

And Dipper and Pacifica slowly stepped inside.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

The room itself was fairly small. The walls were quilted with a dark red velvet. On one side, there was an enormous wooden book shelf that was covered in an intricate pattern of vines and flowers, all lined with gold and silver. The shelves were filled with dozens of large, old leather-bound books.

On the other side there hung an enormous painting of a family. A young couple sitting on a large black sofa, holding a baby. And behind them, an elderly woman and a man with his face blurred into obscurity. The painting sat in a beautiful crystal frame, surrounded by jewels shaped like roses.

The carpet was a dark red, matching the walls. And the ceiling was a dull white, decorated with small pieces of gold. It took Dipper a while to realize that the pattern on the ceiling resembled that of a starry sky. Naturally, his eyes ran along the surface until they landed on the Big Dipper.

A few feet ahead of them, there sat a wide black desk. And a large black leather chair behind it. The chair was swiveled around, facing a set of closed drapes.

Beside the desk, there sat a large, black dog. At first, Pacifica thought it might have been a statue or something because it sat so perfectly still. But when she took a step closer, the dog slowly bared its teeth and let out a low growl.

 _"Mordiggian. Prohibere."_

The dog seemed to huff in response, and then fell silent.

The black chair slowly spun around, revealing Mr Lovecraft's tall, stick figure form. He was wearing black suit, as he always did- along with a long red tie. His fingers were long and thin, and wrapped in a set of white gloves. And his face was covered by a simple, featureless white mas, that covered his entire face.

Pacifica noticed some slick black hair on the top of his head. This was the closest she had ever gotten to the principal of Lovecraft Boarding School. And even just sitting in a chair, leaning over his desk, Mr Lovecraft was an intimidating presence.

Pacifica had spent most of her life being forced to deal with grown ups that were either incredibly important- or only thought they were. But none of them exuded anything even close to the atmosphere that seemed to hang around Mr Lovecraft at all times.

Even though he was thin, even frail, and he spoke in a soft, quiet voice- there was just something about him that seemed... Dangerous. It felt as if she were standing in front of the grim reaper himself.

Dipper slowly moved his gaze from the ceiling, and felt the same cold chill as Pacifica. Luckily, he was used to that sort of thing.

"Good morning, Mister Lovecraft." said Dipper.

Mr Lovecraft gave him a small nod. _"And the same to you, Mister Pines. Miss Northwest."_ he said. _"I am glad to see that you have finally made it. It would appear that Mister Valvatorez chose to take the_ long _route."_

The room went silent for awhile, before Dipper realized that he was waiting for someone to respond.

"Uh- yeah. I guess he did." muttered Dipper.

Mr Lovecraft nodded again. _"Now then. Tell me, Mister Pines. How have you enjoyed your stay at my school thus far?"_ he asked.

"Oh, uh... Well, it's been about what I expected it to be." said Dipper. "Any school that'd knowingly invite _me_ to attend has got to have a few weird things going on."

Mr Lovecraft chuckled to himself. _"Indeed. And it would seem that you have had no trouble falling head first into those 'weird things'. Correct?"_

"Yeah..." muttered Dipper.

Mr Lovecraft carefully placed his long thin hands together on his desk, as he turned his face ever so slightly to face Pacifica.

 _"And Miss Northwest- I must extend my deepest apologies for the situation involving your private dorm room. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find another room for Mister Pines as of yet. So I fear that he may have to stay with you for longer still. Unless of course this will be a terrible problem for you. If so, I may be able to move some other students around for your benefit."_

Pacifica frowned a little, and did her best to ignore Dipper's gaze. "He gets annoying sometimes when he insists on staying up all night chewing on pens and writing in his nerdy little book... But... It's _bearable_." she muttered.

Dipper grinned, and Pacifica felt her cheeks turn pink.

Mr Lovecraft nodded. _"I see. Very good then. Now... I called the two of you here for a very important reason."_ he said. _"As the two of you are uniquely aware, the world is much weirder than the average human might like to admit. There are powers... Creatures... Things that boggle the mind. They have caused chaos all around the world, and insanity in many of the lives they've touched._

 _The two of you have been aware of the true chaos in the world for quite some time. And not just you- but all of the people who have spent any extended amount of time in the town of Gravity Falls. You have grown brave in the face of evil, and you have continued to combat it- even within the confines of my school._

 _Together, the two of you have saved yourselves and even your classmates from mortal peril. And for that, you are both to be commended. Unfortunately, that is not why I brought you here today._

 _Mister Pines... During your time in the 'Green House', you came upon a set of keys. I happen to know that they are currently in your possession. Since I am not in the habit of stealing from my students... I have brought you here to ask you... Will you kindly return those keys to me?"_

Dipper frowned. "...Fine. I'll just have to go back to my room and-"

 _"They are in the third pocket to the right on the inside of your trench coat."_ said Mr Lovecraft.

Dipper grit his teeth, as he slowly pulled the keys out from his trench coat. "Oh- Would you look at that? You were right." he said. His voice completely monotone. Dipper placed the set of keys on Mr Lovecraft's desk, and folded his arms across his chest.

Mr Lovecraft made no effort to take the keys, or even to look at them. Instead, he turned his attention to Pacifica.

 _"And Miss Northwest... It would seem that some time ago, a certain student acquired some information. Information that he planned to use in order to blackmail you. Mister Saw disappeared after the incident that occurred during the Valentines Dance. However, after reviewing his behavior, it was decided that he would be expelled from this school._

 _We have already removed his property from the school grounds. And due to the somewhat sensitive nature of some of the information he had collected while he was here... I decided to have his hard-drives wiped of their memory._

 _However... It has come to my attention that you were given a copy of the information he wished to use against you, in the form of a USB. Do you still have it?"_

Pacifica slowly shook her head. "No... I- I had it in my pocket while we were, uh... Fighting him. And I had it when I finally got back to my room. But I... Well, I fell asleep in my uniform. And when I woke up the next morning... it was gone."

 _"I see. Have you tried to look for it?"_

"... No. Not really..." muttered Pacifica. "I... I already know about all the evil things my family has ever done. Nothing on there is going to surprise me. Besides... I know my parents. And whatever it is- I'm sure they'd find a way to wriggle out of it. It's what they do best..."

 _"I understand..."_ said Mr Lovecraft. _"Well! I believe I have taken up more than enough your time. Have a nice day, the both of you. And don't forget to pack a bag for this weekend. It's the big field trip, after all. I'm sure the two of you will have quite an adventure."_

Mr Lovecraft gave the two of them a polite nod, and Dipper and Pacifica returned the gesture in an awkward fashion before they left the room.

Once he was alone, Mr Lovecraft leaned back in his chair, and sighed.

He let the silence roll over him for a while. Then, he slowly swiveled around in his chair and swung open the drapes. Through the window, he stared blankly at the wasteland of fire and molten rock. Beyond the fire, were a series of enormous towers made of rusted metal. And beyond that, only darkness.

Mr Lovecraft slowly removed his mask, and rubbed his tired eyes.

He watched the fire for a moment. And then, he put his hand in his front pocket, and pulled out a small black USB. He stared at it for a moment. Then, he crushed it in his hand.

"Quid proxima , domine mi?" asked the dog by his desk, as it slowly changed form.

Mr Lovecraft stroked his chin. _"I believe we have another appointment. But beyond that... It would appear that everything will transpire as predicted_." he said. _"Mister Pines didn't put up much of fight when he gave me the keys. Which must mean he already has some idea of what they unlock."_

Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door. There was a loud groan as the dog returned to its previous shape. Mr Lovecraft took a deep breath, as he quietly slid his mask back on, and closed the drapes.

 _"Come in, Mister Gleeful. We have much to discuss."_

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

 _To be continued..._

(AN: As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. Most of you have been great, and I really appreciate you taking the time to read my story.)

Spidertron \- Since you don't have an account, I'll have to tell you here that 'Welcome to Lovecraft' is probably going to be the only Gravity Falls story that I write. Thank you for thinking of me, but I don't think I'll be able to write a story using your idea. Keep looking! It's not a bad idea, and I'm sure there's someone else out there that could write it. All the best!

((One final but important note- As of the next chapter, I will be changing the rating of this story from 'T', to 'M'. Nothing will change in terms of the plot- but some people have suggested I change it due to the amount of blood and gore in this story. And I kind of agree with them. This story never seemed 'M' worthy to me, but I have a decidedly unique perspective on that. If you have any further questions, let me know.))


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: The Field Trip

"Und so, Meine little Dackel was crowned king of all of Austria. He had a crown and everything. It wasn't until later that the people realized that the monarchy had been broken up for almost one hundred years. We all had a long laugh about that. Little Hans wouldn't have liked being king anyway. It is too much pressure for such a little dog." said Marius.

Candy giggled, and Grenda rolled her eyes.

It was late in the evening, and they were all sitting at a long wooden table in the library. On one side, Candy sat between Marius and Grenda. On the other side, was Mabel. And at the far end of the table was Dipper, sitting quietly as he chewed on a pen and flipped through an old looking book.

Time passed slowly as Grenda, Candy, Marius and Mabel talked amongst themselves. Then, all of a sudden- Mabel loudly cleared her throat.

"Hear ye! Hear ye! I hereby call the Official Super Laser-Puppy Study Group of Glitter, Sparkles and History to attention!" bellowed Mabel, as she stood up on her chair. "Commander Mabel presiding! Now- Our first order of business is... Rollcall!"

Dipper looked up from his book. "Mabel, you promised the librarian you wouldn't yell anymore." he said.

"I think we both know that's a promise that I can't keep. Now- Candy! Are you here!?" yelled Mabel.

Candy rose her hand.

Mabel smiled and nodded. "Very good. Grenda?" she asked.

Grenda stood out of her chair, and gave her a salute. "Yes, Mabel, SIR!" she bellowed.

"Yes! Good work, Grenda! You get extra points for enthusiasm!" said Mabel. Grenda pumped her fist into the air in a fit of triumph. "Yeah! Take that, _Marius_!" she bellowed.

Marius looked mildly confused, as Grenda and Candy high fived each other.

"Dipper?" asked Mabel. Silence. She squinted, and carefully surveyed the area. "Hmm... Let's see... Is _Dipper_ here?"

Dipper sighed. "You _know_ I am..." he muttered.

"Hmm... I thought I heard something, but it seemed to be distinctly lacking in the study group spirit..." said Mabel, as she gently stroked her chin.

Dipper sighed again, and carefully tucked his pen behind his ear. "Dipper Pines, reported for duty Commander Mabel." he announced, with a half-hearted salute.

"Good work, Dipper! Extra points for tucking your pen behind your ear like a crazy person!" said Mabel. Without giving her brother any time to rebuke her last statement, Mabel quickly turned to face Marius.

"Marius!" she yelled.

Marius blinked. "Ja?" he asked, still looking somewhat bewildered.

Mabel sighed. "Marius, you're supposed to reply with gusto! Sound off like you really mean it! This is our Study Group, not a tea party!" she explained. "Which reminds me- does anyone want some tea and cookies? Miss Todd said she'd bring some to us if we asked."

"Yeah!" yelled Grenda.

Marius sighed. "Es tut mir Leid, Miss Mabel... You are quite... How you say... _Spirited_ , when you are speaking. And it is sometimes hard for me to follow. English is only meine second language, you see..." he explained, as he gracefully swept a lock of his long luxurious hair out of his face.

Mabel smiled brightly at him. "Awww- You get _extra_ points for being _adorable_." she exclaimed.

Marius scratched his head. "Er... Vielen dank, Miss Mabel." he muttered.

"Okay... Now, then- Pacifica!? Pacifica, are you here? Anywhere? Candy! Check under the table for Pacifica!" ordered Mabel. Candy ducked under the table for a moment and then quickly popped back up. "Sorry, Mabel. I can not find her." she said. "Maybe if I try over there..." she muttered, as she went off to continue her search.

Dipper sighed. "I told you, Mabel- she's not coming. She doesn't need help studying anyway." he said.

Mabel let out a disappointed sigh, as she sat back down in her chair. "Aw, and I knitted her a sweater and everything..." she muttered. Sitting in a bag next to her seat was a bright pink sweater with the words 'Study Sisters' written across the chest in big purple letters.

Mabel, Grenda and Candy were already wearing theirs. Mercifully, she had made one for Dipper and Marius. Although Dipper had a sneaking suspicion that it was only a matter of time.

Mabel suddenly whipped her head around to face Dipper. "Wait- How would _you_ know if she doesn't need help studying?"

Dipper grimaced a little when he noticed the sparkle in his sisters eyes. It was the same look she got whenever she found something she found particularly interesting. Like a mountain of smile-dip. Or a new couple to play 'match-maker' with. He had to choose his words carefully. Otherwise, the next thing he new- she would be knitting sweaters covered in love-hearts with the word 'Dipcifica' on them.

He shuddered at the thought.

"She doesn't need help because she actually pays attention during class. Instead of making paper mache butterflies. Or paper planes. Or balloon animals." said Dipper.

Mabel frowned a little. "Yeah, well- I bet she doesn't sleep through most of her classes either, Mister Jugdey McJudgerson." she muttered.

As if on cue, Dipper yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Uh-huh..." he muttered.

'THUD!'

Dipper went from almost asleep to springing out of his seat in an instant, while everyone else simply turned to face the source of the noise. In front of the group there was an endless row of book shelves. There was another 'thud', this one a little quieter. Then, Candy poked her head out from behind a book shelf.

"I have caught someone!" Candy announced. "It is not Pacifica, though." she added, as she moved out from behind the book shelf, pulling something along with her.

"Hey! Watch the wig! Watch the wig! It's _imported_ , ya know!" yelled the flailing form of Gideon, as Candy pulled him by the hair all the way to the table.

"You are a very light boy, Gill." said Candy when she finally released her grip. "And you are still feeling... Somehow... _Familiar_..." she muttered.

Gideon huffed, as he did his best to straighten out his glorious white pompadour wig. "Well, I _ain't_ familiar. Okay? See the fake mustache? The sunglasses?" he asked, while gesturing to what was apparently supposed to pass off as his 'disguise'. "I'm Gill. Okay? Nobody else."

Candy adjusted her glasses, and squinted at him. "Yes, I suppose so..." she muttered. "The person I am thinking of was a little... _Rounder_. And his skin was a little less _wooden_."

"It's a skin condition! And ya'll ain't one to talk about bein' _round_ , Miss Puffy Cheeks!" yelled Gideon.

Candy stared at him for a moment. Then, she swiftly punched him in the face- sending him flying backwards a pretty far distance. He landed with a loud thud, as Candy sat back down between Grenda and Marius, rubbing her cheeks and muttering angrily to herself.

Gideon collected himself pretty slowly. Ever since being turned into a puppet, he no longer felt pain. Or any physical sensation for that matter. It was as if his mind and his body had been disconnected. It was even hard to move around sometimes, without being able to really 'feel' where he was putting his hands and feet. But over the past week and a half, he had mostly gotten the hang of it.

When Gideon finally made it back to the table, Mabel greeted him with a smile. As if nothing had happened.

"Glad you made it this time, Gill!" she said. "Everyone, you remember Gill- right?"

Gideon spared Grenda and Marius a glance, shared a glare with Candy, and avoided looking at Dipper.

"Go take a seat next to Grenda! We were just about to bust open the text books and get to work!" exclaimed Mabel

Gideon sighed as a he pulled up a chair next to Grenda. Grenda gave him a slight snarl, before returning her attention to the book in front of her.

"Okay! Enough dally-dillying and dilly-dallying! Everyone, it's time to get super serious! Let's get out our textbooks and study like _never_ before!" announced Mabel. "Riiiiiiight after the tea and cupcake gets here. Which, you know... Oughtta be any minute now..."

There was a period of long, awkward silence. As everyone just sat there. Candy rubbed her cheeks again and muttered something about them not being puffy, before sending another glare at Gideon. Marius ran his hand through his long brown hair as he stared at the book in front of him. Grenda looked bored, and Dipper had practically fallen asleep.

Then, there was a sudden burst of smoke- and the table was suddenly covered in large plates of muffins, and an expensive looking golden kettle along with a row of matching tea-cups.

Mabel grinned. "Thanks Miss Todd!" she called out. From somewhere in the ceiling, came the sound of Miss Sweety Todd's voice.

"You are most welcome, Mabel! It is the least I could do after you helped me get my groove back!" she yelled.

"Aww, it was nothin'. Oooh! You even made me the muffins shaped like unicorns! I like to bite the _heads_ off..." said Mabel, with an oddly ferocious looking grin. Grenda and Candy nodded in heartfelt agreement, leaving Gideon and Marius looking more than a little confused.

Time passed by pretty quickly for the study group. Marius quietly read his text books and took diligent notes, while Candy did mostly the same- taking breaks to sip her tea or get into arguments with Gideon. Grenda, for the most part- kept her attention glued to her age-inappropriate novel of the day. This one was called 'Fifty Shades of That Feeling You Get When You Eat Too Much Pizza'.

Apparently, it was a sad one. Because every now and again, Grenda would start sniffling, and Marius would offer her an embroidered handkerchief. She kept blowing her nose in them and throwing them off to the side. Luckily, Marius seemed to have an unlimited supply.

Mabel kept herself pretty focused, although she did sometimes go over her notes only to find that she had drawn a bunch of panda's and antelabbits. Every now and again, she would ask Gideon a question about something, and he would stutter out a polite reply- before going right back to either arguing with Candy, or fidgeting in his seat and looking uncomfortable.

Dipper had simply placed his head on the desk, and fallen asleep. It went unnoticed by everyone except Mabel, who- despite the deep temptation to draw on his face or something- decided to leave him be.

By the time he had finally woken up, the study group had already started to disband. Gideon had already left, and Marius was quietly helping Candy clear the table of books, plates and tea-cups. Grenda was still in her chair, completely absorbed in her book. She was holding it only inches from her face, and blushing madly as she turned the page.

Dipper yawned, and rubbed his eyes. He stretched and grunted as he got out of his chair, before letting out another long yawn.

"Hey, Dipping-sauce?"

Dipper blinked rubbed his eyes again, as he turned to face his sister. "What is it, Mabel?" he asked.

"Don't forget- The big field trip is tomorrow! Don't forget to pack your suitcase tonight. While you were over there in Snooze City- we all made plans to make this a field trip that nobody'll ever forget! Even if they _wanted_ too." said Mabel.

Dipper smiled a little, and nodded. "Sure thing, Mabel." he muttered.

"Wow! Hey, Mabel! You've got to read this one! It's like the best one in the whole series!" bellowed Grenda, as she waved her book in the air. Mabel gasped, and quickly blocked her ears. "Don't tell me anything about it! I still haven't finished '50 Shades of That Feeling You Get When You Finally Get To the Desert Buffet and It's Completely Empty!'" she exclaimed.

Dipper yawned. "Good night, Mabel..." he said, before looking over at Grenda, Candy and Marius. "Uh.. G-Good night, everyone..." he called out, with an awkward wave.

After exchanging goodbyes with everyone, Dipper turned around and made his way out of the library.

"... I guess I'd better pack..." he muttered.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

It was another grey, overcast morning at Lovecraft Boarding School. The forest surrounding the school building looked was being swept by cold wind, as two people stood at the school gates. One of them was eating loud enough for the sounds to echo down the throughout the forest, while the other grimaced.

Finally, she had had enough.

"...Do you wanna _die_?" growled Mrs Voorhees.

Soos thought for a moment. "...No, not really. Did you want a breakfast burrito? I've got spares."

Mrs Voorhees frowned underneath her hockey mask. "...I've lost my appetite." she muttered.

Soos shrugged. "Your loss, dude."

Soos and Mrs Voorhees had been standing at the big metal gates of Lovecraft Boarding School for about ten minutes now, and Mrs Voorhees could already feel herself start to twitch with frustration.

"Hey, why do have all those bandages wrapped over your hockey mask? Also- why are you wearing a hockey mask?" asked Soos, between big loud bites of his breakfast burrito.

Mrs Voorhees turned to face him and let out a long, angry growl. Her entire body seemed to emanate the aura of a predator standing over her prey, as her eyes sparkled with the fire of barely repressed fury.

Soos seemed completely unaffected by it. He simply unwrapped his spare burrito and kept staring at her with the same look of innocent curiosity in his eyes.

The fire in her eyes slowly fizzled out, as the two of them stood there in silence.

Finally, she let out a long, weary sigh. "...It's a memento... From my son..." she muttered.

"The hockey mask?" asked Soos, as he wiped the remnants of his spare burrito off of his face.

Mrs Voorhees gave him a silent, expressionless nod.

"Well, that's cool. Hey- I can see some of the little dudes coming out of the main building... We'd better open the gates for them." said Soos. He took a step toward the gate, only to stop when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"No... You go start the bus. I'll round up the lil' _monsters_..." growled Mrs Voorhees.

Soos nodded, and gave her a salute. "Yes, ma'am!" he exclaimed.

Mrs Voorhees watched Soos make his way towards the enormous school bus parked across the street. Watching him, Mrs Voorhees slowly ran her fingers across the surface of her hockey mask. 'You would probably be around his age by now, wouldn't you...' she thought.

She quickly felt that familiar feeling of rage start to boil over in her chest all over again.

She growled, as she swung open the big metal gates. "Hurry up, and get on over here!" she bellowed. "We ain't got all mornin'!"

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

All of the students had been assigned to seats, and Dipper had found himself sitting directly behind the bus driver. Normally, he would have preferred a seat in the back- preferably in the corner where no one would notice him.

But, much to his surprise- the bus driver was none other than Soos. And sitting behind him meant that he could spend the entire trip catching up with one of the few people in the world he considered a friend.

"Yeah, and there was another chainsaw massacre at the hardware store. I dunno who keeps destroying all of those chainsaws- but it's been keeping Sheriff Blubs real busy. Oh- and Bodacious T tried to revive that whole 'Society of the Blind Eye' thing, but it didn't really work out too well. Now he thinks he's a hummingbird. He wound up running off with uh... You know that guy who married that woodpecker? Yeah, he ran off with that guys wife. And also- Stan finally got that weird mole looked at. It turned out to be a gummy bear." said Soos.

Dipper nodded, as he slowly processed all of the information. "...Who's 'Bodacious T'?" he asked.

"Oh- That's Toby. Toby Determined. The reporter? Remember, he started going by 'Bodacious T'? I don't know what 'bodacious' means- but he seems to like it. Or, I mean, he did before he made himself think that he's a woodpecker. Did I mention that?"

"You did."

"Oh. Sorry, dude. It's just been so long since we talked! There's like a hundred stories I wanna tell you!"

Dipper smiled. "Well, we've got the time... As long as you think you can talk while your driving the bus."

"Oh, don't worry dude. I keep my eyes on the road at all times. And if I need to establish eye contact- then I'll just use the mirror." said Soos, as he adjusted the rear-view mirror.

Although Dipper enjoyed hearing what the people of Gravity Falls were up to, the person sitting next to him did not. Pacifica slid her eye mask off of her face, and shot Dipper an angry glare. "Could you shut up, _Pines_?" she spat. "I've got a head ache, and listening to you two is making it like, a _thousand_ times _worse_."

Soos' ears suddenly perked up, as he looked into the rear view mirror. "Hey, wait a minute... Dude, is that Pacifica Northwest? As in _the_ Pacifica Northwest?" he asked.

Dipper nodded. "Uh-huh. We're kinda friends now." he said.

Pacifica felt her glare quickly soften, before twisting into a scowl. "Just... Just try and be a little quieter, alright? No more _yelling_. Or I'll sue you. I'll... I'll sue you _forever_." she muttered.

"Sure, Pacifica." said Dipper.

Soos gave her a solemn salute in the rear-view mirror. "Sure thing, dude." he said.

Pacifica grumbled to herself as she slid her eye mask back on, and leaned back in her chair.

A few minutes of silence passed by before Soos spoke up again, this time in a much quieter tone.

"So... Uh... How are you and Mabel? I heard about, uh... What happened in Piedmont..." he muttered.

Dipper sighed. "Fine. I mean- Mabel got to meet up with Candy and Grenda again, so that's good." he said.

"Yeah, I saw 'em getting on the bus. I think Mabel almost broke my ribs with that mega-hug of hers... I'm not even kidding, dude. I need some ice or somethin'." said Soos.

Dipper chuckled to himself. "Yeah..."

"...But, uh... What about you, dude? You kinda look like you haven't slept in a while..."

Dipper rubbed his eyes, and sighed. "Uh-huh... It's just the usual, though. Nothing to worry about."

"...Okay, dude. If you say so." said Soos.

Dipper took a deep breath, and decided to change the subject. "So... How's everyone back at the Mystery Shack?" he asked.

Soos scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm... Let's see... Well, Mr Pines won the lottery and then lost it all at Vegas. And, uh, the _other_ Mr Pines managed to put a stop to that thousand year war between the Gnomes and the Manataurs. Sometimes, all three of us will go to Greasy's Diner for dinner time pancakes. Wendy'll come too sometimes, but she's been really busy lately. She doesn't come around to the Shack anymore... She's been really busy since she was crowned 'Queen of the Forest'. Plus, she's been thinking about college and stuff..."

Dipper opened his mouth to say something, only to suddenly freeze. In the span of a millisecond his mind suddenly went blank, as he felt something soft pressing against his arm.

Pacifica slowly wrapped her arms around his arm, and nuzzled into his shoulder.

Dipper, being the mature, intelligent person he was, naturally responded with nothing but grace and calm.

First, he let out a high pitched squeak. Then, he sputtered and felt his face turn bright red. His heart skipped a beat, and quickly accelerated as he began to seriously consider diving for the floor. Or out the window.

Soos glanced at the rear-view mirror, and rose an eyebrow. "Are you okay, dude? You look like your kinda having a moment or something..."

Dipper gulped. "Wha- I don't- Uh-" he sputtered.

"Don't let me bother you, dude. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"N- no, I- Uh..." Dipper took a deep breath, and shook his head. As he tried to collect himself, the first thing he did was try to pull away from her. Unfortunately, that only seemed to make her pull back and hug him even tighter. And she was a lot stronger than she looked.

He considered waking her up, but her threat of a lawsuit was still fresh in his mind. Plus... Well, he wanted to avoid being reduced into an awkard blushing mess in front of her. Again.

So, he took few deep breaths and tried to pretend that she wasn't there.

And tried.

And _tried_.

Finally, he sighed in exasperation.

"...Soos? Can anybody else see what she's doing?" he asked.

Soos checked the rear-view mirror. All of the other students were either talking amongst themselves or playing with their phones. The seats across from Dipper and Pacifica were empty, and the students sitting directly behind them appeared to be asleep. Since Pacifica was sitting by the window, it looked like she out of the eye-shot of any other prying eyes.

"Nope." said Soos. "It looks like she's pretty well covered, dude."

Dipper let out a small sigh of relief. "Good..." he muttered. "And- uh... She's asleep, okay? She... Well, she doesn't know what she's doing, and-... You remember that time we got covered in baby ultra-scorpions and we had to stay _really_ still so that they wouldn't sting us?"

Soos shuddered. "Uh-huh... I still have nightmares about that, dude."

"Yeah... This, uh... This is kinda like that. Only-" Dipper felt Pacifica snuggle a little closer to him, and he let out an involuntary yelp. "-... Only _worse_. A _lot_ worse."

"Got it, dude. Don't worry- we've only got another... Uh... Two hours or so... 'Till we get there..." said Soos.

Dipper gulped."W-well, she'll probably let go sooner or later... Right?"

Soos thought for a moment. "What did we do with the baby ultra-scorpions?"

"We had to wait for Mabel to pick each one up with a pair of tongs, and then put them in a big jar... And... It took _hours_." muttered Dipper.

"Oh, yeah." said Soos. "Well, uh... It'll probably be okay, dude."

Dipper sighed.

"Yeah... _Probably_."

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

The road seemed to stretch on forever. It was getting dark outside, as the clouds seemed to conspire to block out all of the light. Soos soon found himself driving in the bus with the head lights on. After a while, Soos began patches of snow on the road. The windscreen started being swept with gusts of snow, as the snow on the road seemed to get thicker and thicker as he drove.

Soos frowned. "Dude... Somethin' weird is goin' on..." he muttered. He glanced up at the rear view mirror, only to find that Dipper had fallen asleep. Which wasn't all that surprising, considering how quiet he had been for the past hour or so... What was surprising, was _how_ he was sleeping.

Dipper and Pacifica were leaning against each other, their faces almost touching, with their arms wrapped around each other.

Soos did a double take. And he seriously considered taking a sip of his coffee just so that he could do a spit take.

"Boy... You know, something told me that if Mabel saw this... It'd be like that trip to the Smile Dip factory all over again... Only maybe with a little less throwing up." said Soos.

Dipper twitched, and shifted a little closer to Pacifica. "Mmm... _Books_..." he whispered.

Pacifica made a noise, and shifted a little closer to Dipper. "Mmm... Lack of spirit crushing conformity... Also... _Shoes_..." she whispered.

Soos smile to himself. "You know, you two would make great characters in this young adult novel I've been writing. I thought about making it about vampires- 'cuz, you know, they were kinda 'hip' for a while... But then, I find out that _zombies_ were what's hip, and then it changed to aliens, then to haunted bathtubs and omniscient toasters- and then back to vampires again. So I was like 'you know what? Write what's in your heart, dude'. So now it's mostly about chupacabra's and dragons..."

Soos blinked. "Oh. I'm talkin' to myself again. I gotta stop doin' that. Welp- this snow is kinda weird. I think I'll check the map to see if it's supposed to be here... Okay... Let's see... Doo de doo de doo, I'm lookin' for the map... Rustlin' through the glove box... Or... Whatever it's called... Did people used to store their gloves in those things? I don't think they do anymore... I wonder why still call them 'glove' boxes then... Maybe they should just be called 'boxes'- Oh, here it is." said Soos, as pulled out the map.

He glanced at the windscreen. All he could see was more of the same snow covered road ahead. It was too dark to see anything else. Soos frowned a little, as he slowly opened the map- doing his best to keep at least one hand on the wheel.

"Alright, so let's see... Yeah, I took that turn... Uh-huh... Past that big rock shaped like perpetual sadness..." he muttered, as he traced along the path he had marked out with his spare hand.

Soos glanced up from the map again- just in time to catch a glimpse of something. Something... big. Then, everyone in the bus lurched forward as a spray of glass exploded across Soos' face. There was a deafening 'crunch' before the bus was sent spiraling around in the snow.

Soos pressed on the brake with everything he had, as he spun the steering wheel. Eventually, and with a lot of screaming, the bus finally came to a stop.

Soos took a few deep, ragged breaths, before turning around to face the passengers. "Is everyone okay?" he called out. There were a bunch of groans in response- but it looked like nobody had been hurt. "Boy- Lucky this is one of those fancy bus' with seat belts and stuff..." muttered Soos.

Dipper groaned as his eyes fluttered open, and Pacifica angrily ripped her eye-mask off of her face. "What was _that_?" she spat. "Did you learn how to drive at one of those monster truck rallies!?"

Soos nodded. "Yeah. But that wasn't the problem, dude. Something just sorta.. ran out in front of me." he said.

Suddenly, a voice called out from amongst the other students.

"Uh ... Herr Busfahrer? I believe that Frau Voorhees may be... Unconscious..."

The voice unmistakably belonged to Marius, who had been sitting quietly next to Mrs Voorhees for the entire trip. Sitting on the seats across from him were Gideon and Candy. And far off in the back seat, were Mabel and Grenda.

Candy cleared her throat. "Do not worry, Marius. She is just a very heavy sleeper." she explained.

Mrs Voorhees twitched, and grumbled, before leaning her head against the window. "Mmm.. Dead teenagers..." she muttered. Marius shifted a little further away from her in his seat. "I see..." he muttered.

Soos began rummaging through the glove box again. "Alright... I think I'd better go check out the damage. You dudes stay here, okay?" he said.

Dipper immediately jumped out of his seat, and pulled a torch out of his trench coat pocket. "I'll come with you." he said. "If there is something out there... Well, then you might need some back up."

Soos smiled as he pulled a torch out of the glove box. "Sure thing, dude." he said. Soos pulled a lever near the steering wheel, causing the bus door to suddenly swing open. A burst of snow suddenly came barreling in, causing a cascade of hisses and growls from the students.

"Let's go, Dipper!" exclaimed Soos, as he ventured outside.

Dipper was about to move- when he felt something tugging on his trench coat. Dipper turned to find that Pacifica had grabbed onto the sleeve of his coat. Dipper opened his mouth to ask what she was doing- only to be quickly interrupted.

"I'm going too." said Pacifica.

Dipper blinked. "Uh... Don't worry about it, Pacifica. I'm only going in case he needs back up or something..." he muttered.

Pacifica frowned a little. "Well then I'll be back up for the back up, then." she said.

Dipper coughed and tried his best not to show his nervousness. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed underneath her gaze. Maybe it had to do with what happened before he fell asleep...

Dipper shook his head and tried to focus. "We don't need back up for the back up. One back up is fine." he said.

Pacifica's frown deepened. "Oh, yeah? How many times have I helped you since you came to the school? Don't you remember that you owe me _three_ favors now because of that?"

Dipper grimaced. "I do remember... But I wish _you_ didn't." he muttered.

"I'm coming with you." said Pacifica, in a stern tone. "Besides- I could use the excuse to stretch my legs, anyway..." she muttered.

Dipper sighed. "Fine..." he muttered.

As soon as Dipper and Pacifica left the bus, they were greeted with a sharp gust of icy wind. Pacifica pulled the door closed behind them, and they moved toward the front of the bus.

Soos was standing there already, with his flashlight trained on the bus. The front of the bus had been crushed. And the windscreen shattered, along with both of the head lights. Dipper frowned a little as he moved in for a closer look.

There were a few streaks of a thick black liquid on the crushed metal, along with a few chunks of thick white hair.

"...We hit something..." muttered Dipper. "Something big..."

Soos looked around. "I don't see anything... It musta just shook it off." he said.

Pacifica frowned. "What could just 'shake off' getting hit by a _bus_?"

Dipper shrugged. "Lot's of things. Were-wolves, Big Foot, Bigger Foot, giant chattering teeth..."

Pacifica rolled her eyes. "Alright, monster nerd. Tell me this, then. What do we do now? The bus is wrecked, and the weather is only getting worse. And how is it so _dark_ already? It's not even lunch time."

A massive clap of thunder rocked through the air, causing all three of them to yelp in surprise.

"There must be a snow storm coming..." muttered Dipper.

"No, _really_? What makes you say that, _Sherlock_?" hissed Pacifica.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "We can't stay here... And I doubt the bus is going to be able to get us away from this storm... Not in this condition..." he muttered.

Soos rubbed his chin. "Well, we could all just spend the night in the bus. There's a heater in there..." he suggested.

Dipper shook his head. "If we stay in there during a storm like this, we'd probably wake up trapped under several meters of snow... Pacifica, is your phone getting any signal?" he asked.

Pacifica pulled out her phone in a flash, and checked. "Nope. _Typical_..." she muttered.

Dipper frowned. 'Great... Trapped in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of a freak snow storm...' he thought, with a weary sigh. 'Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that something went wrong. It always does when I'm around...'

"Dudes!" yelled Soos, "I think I see a light over there!"

Dipper blinked, as he looked into the distance at what Soos was pointing at. Sure enough- there was a light. It looked like a dull orange sphere, only barely shining through the darkness and the snow.

"Maybe it's a gas station or something... Or even a house!" exclaimed Soos.

Dipper frowned. "Yeah... Alright, you two stay here. I'll go check it out." he said.

Pacifica scoffed, and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, _please_. Since when are you the boss?" she demanded.

"Yeah, dude... I mean- if anybody should go, it should be me. I'm, like, the _adult_ here y'know?" said Soos.

Dipper shook his head. "Somebody needs to stay here in case whatever made _that_ ," said Dipper, as he gestured toward the crushed face of the bus, "Decides to come back. And Soos, _you're_ the one who trained with Multi-Bear to be the champion of bear wrestling..."

Soos sighed. "Yeah, but I lost the belt to Wendy..." he muttered. "Well, alright, dude. You make a good point. But what if _you_ get attacked while you're out there in the snow?"

Dipper shrugged. "I'll run." he said, simply.

Soos sighed again. "Well... I have a lot of, you know, 'misgivings' and stuff about you goin' off on your own again... Maybe you should take Mabel with you." he suggested.

Before Dipper could say anything, Pacifica interrupted him. "I'll go." she said.

Dipper frowned a little. He opened his mouth to say something, only to promptly snap it shut again. Pacifica had her arms folded across her chest. Which meant that she her mind was already made up.

Dipper sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll take Pacifica with me. She's had some experience fighting monsters lately, so it should be fine." he said.

Soos rubbed his chin, frowned, and finally slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Well... Alright dude. But you'd better both put on your snow jackets first. It's really cold out there."

Dipper blinked. "Snow jackets?" he muttered.

Pacifica frowned. "We were supposed to be going to a ski resort- _remember_?"

Dipper rubbed his forehead as he tried to think. "Uh... no..." he muttered.

Pacifica huffed. "I _told_ you last night. But you were too busy reading your _book_."

"Hey, I was trying to study up on the forbidden tomes of darkest secrecy!"

"And so, what? That means you can just ignore me all you want?"

"No, but I-"

Sensing an oncoming argument, Soos cleared his throat. "Uh, dudes? Can you, uh... Can you get moving? This storm is only going to get worse as time goes on..." he said.

Pacifica frowned and flicked her hair to the side in a huff, and Dipper sighed.

"Sure thing Soos... I guess I'll just borrow a jacket from Mabel... I hope she didn't bring her 'Sev'ral Timez' jacket..." muttered Dipper.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper was wearing a bright pink snow jacket, with the words 'Sev'ral Timez 4 Lyfe' scrawled across the back in big purple letters. As if that weren't enough- the front of the jacket was decorated with a big love-heart with a picture of the band in the middle. And to top it all off, the heart and all the letters on the back were thoroughly bedazzled.

Normally, Pacifica would be laughing hysterically at this point. Possibly even taking a few photo's with her phone, before going back to pointing and laughing.

But somehow, she had managed to remain completely silent as they walked through the snow together. And it was starting to make Dipper... nervous. Although he wasn't sure why.

Finally, he cleared his throat and tried to speak up. "So, uh... Pacifica? What- uh... I mean... How... How are you? Are you, uh... Okay?" he asked. Dipper winced, and cursed his own nerves. It was usually pretty easy to talk to Pacifica. But for some reason... It had recently gotten a lot more difficult.

And Pacifica's recent attitude had only made things worse.

Pacifica sent his a withering glare as she grit her teeth. "I'm _fine_." she spat.

Dipper sighed and shook his weary head. "Is there... Is there something wrong, Pacifica?" he asked.

"No." growled Pacifica.

Dipper went silent for a while. And the two of them made their way through the snow in complete silence. Eventually, Dipper finally worked up the courage to speak up again. "It's just-... Look, you've been really irritable lately... And it's been that way for a couple of days now. If... If there's something bothering you, you can tell me."

Pacifica's hands balled into fists. "Just... Just shut up, _Pines_. The only thing that's _bothering_ me, is _you_." she growled.

Dipper frowned, as his initial nervousness was suddenly replaced with a surge of anger.

"I didn't _ask_ you to come _with_ me, _Northwest_." he growled.

Pacifica rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah. You would've liked that, wouldn't you? Another chance for you to go out and get yourself _killed_."

"I can take care of _myself_." growled Dipper.

"No you _can't_! All _you_ know how to do is get yourself _hurt_!"

"Well _excuse_ me- I didn't realize I was supposed to be _invulnerable_ , Northwest."

As the argument slowly escalated, their voices grew louder and louder. Their surroundings slowly turned into a swirling mass of black and white, as the wind gradually picked up speed, sending waves of snow crashing against them.

Flashes of lightning seemed to fill the sky every few seconds or so- but neither Dipper nor Pacifica took any notice.

The wind and the thunder had quickly gotten so loud as to make it nearly impossible for them to keep yelling at each other. But that didn't stop them from trying.

"You are _impossible_ , Pines!" yelled Pacifica.

" _I'm_ impossible!? All you've done for the past couple of days is _ignore_ me! And whenever we do talk, you act like its the most annoying thing in the world! We're supposed to be _friends_ now, aren't we!?" yelled Dipper.

Pacifica went silent.

Dipper frowned, and turned to face her. "What is it now!?" he yelled.

Suddenly, a massive roar burst through the air. Loud enough to cut through all of the other noise like a hot knife through butter.

A set of enormous claws seemed to appear out of nowhere, and quickly lunged at Dipper.

"DIPPER!" bellowed Pacifica, as she leapt forward and pushed him into the snow. Dipper narrowly escaped the reach of the claws. But Pacifica wasn't so lucky.

There was a loud 'rip' as the claws tore through her jacket, and into her back.

Another loud roar shook the area around them, as the claws gripped onto Pacifica. The snow was too thick for either of them to catch a good glimpse of the creature. And before either of them could even comprehend what was happening, the creature disappeared into the distance- carrying Pacifica along with it.

Dipper leapt to his feet.

"PACIFICA!" he bellowed.

Another roar. This one from some distance away.

Dipper didn't stop to think. He just ran towards it.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

 _She stared into his eyes._

 _They were cold._

 _Lifeless._

 _He was lying in a pool of blood... And all she could do was watch, as he breathed his final breath._

 _Dipper... Was dead._

Pacifica's eyes fluttered open, and she was greeted with an intense surge of pain. She groaned. The image of Dipper's body was still stuck in her mind. It had been all day. And no matter what she did- it wouldn't leave her.

She had started seeing it a few days ago. It was different from the nightmares she had been haunted by in the past. The image of his lifeless body seemed to pop up wherever she went.

It felt like a vision of the future. The clearest one she had ever had.

She shuddered. Partly at the image still fresh in her head, and partly due to the cold.

Her vision was blurry, and her body had gone mostly numb. Everything around her appeared a mass of swirling darkness. She tried to move, but it was useless.

Something was standing over her... But she couldn't tell what.

The image of Dippers body flashed before her eyes once more.

"D-... Dipper..." she wheezed.

All of her senses seemed to slip away, as everything went black.

All that was left, was a single image. A familiar looking woman. Someone she had briefly met back in Gravity Falls. The girl with the long red hair.

She looked somber. Her image quickly faded away into the darkness, as she whispered something. Her voice was both deafeningly loud and eerily quiet at the same time.

"Dipper... Will... _Die_."

There was a flash. And for just a moment, the girl with the long red hair looked like someone else. Then- everything went black.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Dipper opened his eyes, and groaned. He was lying on the floor of a cave, drenched in sweat.

"...Ow." he muttered, as he slowly picked himself up off the ground. There was a big hole in the ceiling directly above him. He had been running for only a few minutes, when he suddenly found himself falling off the edge of a cliff. Apparently, he had crashed through the ceiling of a cave.

He sighed. "... Well. I guess if it weren't for _bad_ luck I wouldn't have any luck at all..." he muttered, as he brushed a layer of snow off of his jacket. Suddenly, he noticed something in the corner of his eye.

Beside him, was a body. Dressed in old mountaineering gear, and impaled on an enormous ice stalagmite.

He stared at it for a moment.

"Right. 'Perspective'. Got it." he muttered.

Dipper took a deep breath, and rubbed his forehead.

"She's alive..." he muttered. "She _is_ alive. Now, all I have to do is _find_ her. Then we can go right back to yelling at each other." he told himself.

Dipper nodded to himself, and took another deep breath.

The area he was standing in seemed like a maze of ice. The walls were perfectly smooth, but both the ceiling and the floor were decorated with vast array of both stalagmites and stalactites. They were all clustered pretty tightly together, making the area feel like a big maze. And it was all cast in a bright blue glow, that sent long shadows stretching in almost every direction.

Dipper moved across the ice as carefully as he could. His first instinct was to inspect the impaled body. He had dealt with a handful of dead bodies back in Piedmont- not counting the zombie incident back in Gravity Falls.

They always had a story to tell. And his natural curiosity almost always made him want to go in for deeper look. It hadn't quite been that way at first, of course. And he hadn't quite been able to perform his own autopsies yet- he still had to rely on the Piedmont Police Department for that. But as time passed, it seemed to get easier and easier to disconnect the body with the person it had once been.

It had been one of the slightly more disconcerting effects of being the local paranormal investigator.

Dipper sighed, as he took a closer look at the body. "I wonder what the _normal_ teenagers are doing right now... 'Texting', I guess?" he muttered.

The body was very well preserved thanks to the cold. Dipper couldn't help but be grateful that it was still wearing a thick pair of ski goggles. Although he had mostly gotten used to dealing with the dead- there was something about dead eyes that still felt... _disturbing_.

All of the bodies tattered pockets were empty. Everything seemed to be attached to it's belt. There was a set of keys, an emergency whistle, an old canteen, a sizable ice-axe, and a bunch of old rope.

Dipper carefully slid the ice axe out of the belt, and looked at the handle. There was a small engraving on it, and Dipper had to bring it in close in order to see it.

'Property of Dunwich Inn. If lost, please return.'

Dipper frowned. Nothing on the body seemed to give any clue on it's own identity. There was no wallet, and nothing else seemed to have any writing on it.

Dipper sighed. "I wonder if there's an app with fingerprint identification software or something..." he muttered. "I bet Pacifica would-..." he suddenly trailed ofs as he felt his chest tighten.

He took another deep breath. "Alright... I'm gonna borrow this." he muttered, waving the ice-axe in the air. "Do me a favor, and don't be jerk and _haunt_ me if this is something really important to you, okay? I'll put it to good use, I promise."

The body didn't respond.

With that, Dipper decided to move on. He kept the ice-axe in his hand as he carefully moved across the icy floor. Eventually, after twisting and turning through a maze of stalagmites, he finally reached a clearing.

It was a wide open area, with a smooth icy floor. Sitting in the center of the clearing, there was an enormous golden bowl. With a tall blue flame burning brightly inside.

Dipper blinked, and then frowned.

He had found the source of the eery blue light... Unfortunately, it seemed to bring about a lot more questions than it answered.

Moving as carefully as possible on the slippery surface of the floor, Dipper slowly made his way toward the fire. As he drew closer, he felt the air start to get colder and colder. And by the time he finally reached the fire, he had to grit his teeth to keep them from chattering.

His entire body began to tremble violently, and his face went numb.

He cupped his hands over his face and let out a few shallow breaths. The warmth of his own warm breath, fleeting as it was, felt heavenly.

By the time he had finally reached the bowl, Dipper felt like he was bathing in liquid nitrogen. And even the thick Sev'ral Timez jacket he was wearing did nothing to help. He wrapped his arms around his torso, and took a deep breath.

The golden bowl was covered in hundreds of small, black markings. Each one of them was tiny picture. It looked to be reminiscent of Egyptian pictograms. There was an eye, followed by a tree. A smiling mouth, followed by a picture of fire. And a few more. All of them repeating in pairs, over and over again.

Dipper squinted at the markings, and frowned. Without really thinking, he slowly drew his hand to the surface of the bowl. But as soon as the tip of his gloved finger grazed the golden surface, all of the markings suddenly faded away.

He stared at the now smooth surface of the bowl for a few seconds, and then he sighed."Fine. Whatever. Disappear. See if I care..." he muttered, with a pout.

Suddenly, the entire room began to shake, as a familiar sounding roar burst through the air.

Dipper stood up in an instant, and gripped his ice-axe. He looked around for a moment, and frowned. There was an opening in the wall of ice. It looked just big enough for him to squeeze through.

There was another roar. This one loud enough to make the entire room shake.

Dipper took a deep breath. "Okay... I guess I'm going _that_ way..." he muttered.

Staying on his feet while making his way across the icy floor was no easy task. But after some time, angry muttering and a few close calls, Dipper finally arrived at the gap in the wall.

He spared a second glance at the blue flame, and frowned a little. Then, he took a deep breath, and held it as he squeezed through the gap. On the other side, Dipper found himself standing in the middle of long, dark tunnel.

"KKGRAAAAAAAWWWWRRR!"

Dipper shuddered, but quickly shook it off. And after spending a moment awkwardly searching through his pockets for his spare flashlight, Dipper began his trek in the direction of the noise.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

The darkness slowly faded away. And all of a sudden, Pacifica could see shapes again. And then colors.

She groaned, as she felt a cold dull pain slowly start to resurface around her shoulder.

"Ah... Y-y-you have... A-a-awoken..."

Pacifica winced at the sound of the voice, and frowned. "Where... Am I?" she muttered.

"Th-th-this is most... M-m-most unusual... Y-y-you are the f-f-first person I've ever seen... W-w-wake up, after... after... The v-v-venom..."

The voice sounded quiet, and just a little gruff. It sounded obvious that the voice belonged to a man. And although his stuttering made it had to tell- it sounded like he had few shreds of an English accent as well.

Suddenly, a face popped up in front of hers. He was standing over her, facing down. His skin was a very pale blue. And his thick, messy eyebrows and hair were jet black. His eyes were white, and somehow... _Empty_.

"M-m-my name i-is Nekri... It is a... A g-great pleasure." said the man, with an awkward, twitchy smile.

Pacifica grit her teeth. " _Where. Am. I_." she growled.

The man thought for a moment, and then twitched. "A-ah... Yes... Yes... Y-you... You would be curious..." he muttered to himself. "P-please forgive... Me..." he trailed off, and frowned. "No... I..." he twitched a few more times, and then shook his head.

"Th-that's right... There... There is no... F-forgiveness... For... For this..." he muttered.

Pacifica tried to move, but she couldn't. She was being held against a cold cement slab, by an invisible force. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to break it.

"I-... I have n-not spoken... For quite a... W-while... A-a-and... In such a situation... Wh-what is there to say?" muttered the man. "I... I am Nekri. Wh-... Who are you?"

Pacifica let out a loud grunt as she struggled against her invisible restraints. "...Pacifica..." she muttered.

Nekri shot her a twitchy smile. "I-it is lovely... T-to make your acquaintance... P-p-pacifica..." he muttered. "Y-you know... They... They ordered me to t-t-take the boy... The boy that was with you... B-but then... Then you jumped into the path of... Of my claws..." he muttered.

Nekri carefully lifted his hand over her face. It was blue, like his face. With jet black fingernails. All of a sudden, his fingers began to twist and bend. Veins began to pop up all over his arm, as small tufts of white hair began to rise up through his skin. His fingers slowly turned into a set of long, hook-like claws. Each one of them dripping with a bright blue liquid.

"I-I had to take you instead... A-and they... Th-they were very unhappy. Th-they say... You are special... A-and... You are not to be touched..." muttered Nekri. "I... I was punished... Quite severely... F-for... For the first time... In... In a long... Long... Time..."

Pacifica grit her teeth and huffed. "Uh-huh. Whatever. Listen, is there any chance you could just let me go right about now? I've already broken a nail... And I-... I don't want any wannabe paranormal investigators getting themselves hurt trying to look for me..." she muttered.

Nekri stared at her for a moment. Then, rivers of thick black liquid suddenly erupted from his eyes, and slid down his cheeks. "Y-you... You are still... St-still concerned... About... About your _lover_..." he whispered.

Pacifica's face went red in an instant. "Wha- no- what!? Shut up!" she yelled.

Nekri carefully wiped the black liquid off of his face, and sniffled. "You... Y-you are a good person, Miss Pacifica. Y-you re-remind... Remind me... O-of the man I once was..." Nekri trailed off, and then sniffled again.

"Wh-which is why... This... This is so... Regrettable..." he muttered, with another sniffle.

Nekri slowly drew his claws towards Pacifica, and choked back a sob.

"Th-there... There is no punishment... I-in the world... T-too harsh... For me..." he muttered. "B-but... But you must understand... I do this... F-for... For a good r-reason... I... I promise." he muttered.

Pacifica only saw a flash of his claws, before everything went black again.

All she could do, before her consciousness faded away once more- was scream.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

The sound of a scream echoed throughout the tunnels.

Dipper froze. His heart seemed to stop, as his entire body was suddenly paralyzed with fear. It was quickly replaced with a surge of adrenaline.

"PA-CI-FI-CAAAA!" screamed Dipper.

There was no response.

Dipper could feel his entire body start to tremble, as his mind suddenly played every worst case scenario it could think of.

Then, the tunnel itself seemed to tremble. Dipper froze for a moment, and whipped around, holding his flashlight in one hand and the ice-axe in the other.

There were small holes in the walls, and the ceiling. And all of a sudden, hundred of thousands of spiders began to pour out of them. They were all about the size of a golf ball, with a bright blue abdomen that seemed to glow in the darkness.

Dipper didn't waste any time thinking. He just started running, with everything he had- as the spiders chased after him.

There were thousands of them, all crawling across the floor, the ceiling, the walls and over each other. Together, they looked like a giant wave or a serpent. Their collective movement seemingly chaotic, but in reality completely focused.

Dipper shone his flashlight ahead, and grit his teeth. Up ahead, the tunnel just seemed to end. As a cliff.

There was only enough time to make one plan. Jump, and hope.

Dipper groaned. "I _hate_ 'jump and hope'." he muttered, as he leaped off the cliff, and plunged down into the darkness beneath.

There was an enormous 'splash', as Dipper felt himself land in the middle of an enormous river. He coughed and sputtered as he did his best to keep his head above the surface of the water. The coldness of the water gave him an instant headache. It was also _salt_ water- which was bad news for his eyes. But, he had to do his best to ignore it as his body was quickly swept up by the current.

He kept the ice-axe gripped firmly in his hand, as his body was violently thrown around in the water. As he was pushed along in the water, the current quickly grew stronger and stronger. He barely managed to keep his head up out of the water long enough to catch of glimpse of where the current was taking him.

Straight towards the top of a waterfall.

Dipper decided against making a sarcastic quip about his luck (or lack thereof), and instead took a deep breath. Above him, the spiders were spreading out across the ceiling- their bright blue abdomens sending a dull blue glow across the water, and giving Dipper a nice, clean image of the terror waiting in front of him.

Dipper struggled to keep his eyes open as the salt water smacked him in the face. When he was finally push over the edge of the water fall, Dipper fell for a few good seconds before grabbing the ice-axe with both hands, and thrusting it into the wall just beneath the rushing water. The force of the water crashing down on him felt like a pile of bricks, as the ice-axe caught a grip in the wall.

Dipper held on for dear life, as the ice-axe ripped down the wall for a while, before it slowly drew him to a stop.

The water was still hitting him hard, as he clung to the side of the wall. Dippers arms screamed out in pain, as he struggled to find a foothold on the rock. The ice-axe suddenly slid out of the wall, and Dipper quickly found himself falling all over again.

This time, he landed with a solid 'crunch'.

Dipper groaned. His vision was beginning to blur, and it took everything he had to keep himself from blacking out.

"Ow..." he groaned.

It took him a moment to sit himself up and observe his surroundings.

He was sitting in the middle of a massive pile of bones at the bottom of the waterfall. The water seemed to crash into the pile of bones before flowing out into the calm body of water beyond. All of the bones to be human. There was a wide variety of skulls and ribs sticking out all over the place- and all of them seemed to have been picked completely clean.

Dipper frowned.

Some of the skulls appeared to have had three eyes. But only a few of them.

He stared at them for a moment, and then shook his head.

Many of the bones seemed to be stuck together with what looked like a combination of ice crystals and chunks of sea salt. Which made it a lot easier than he expected to get up on his feet.

The glowing spiders that had been chasing him seemed to have disappeared. He couldn't see a single speck of glowing blue light on the ceiling or the walls.

Dipper took a deep breath. His legs suddenly threatened to give out underneath him- but he wouldn't let them. He ran a hand through his hair. He had lost his snow hat at some point, and his hair was both wet and cold. Dipper slowly brought his hand to his face, and winced.

It was now covered in blood. Which meant that, as he had suspected, he was bleeding from somewhere on his head. He was too numb from the cold to tell exactly where the wound was. But at least now he knew why his body seemed to want to quit on him.

"Probably... Have a concussion..." he muttered to himself.

Of course, he wasn't going to let that stop him.

Dipper rubbed his eyes, and frowned at the waterfall. Just behind the water, he could see a dull orange glow. "...There... There's a room behind the waterfall..." he muttered. "A secret room..."

Dipper clenched his hands into fists- and was surprised to find the ice-axe still firmly in his grasp. He held it close to his chest, and slowly crawled up to the top of the pile of bones, and then through the waterfall.

He felt a wave pain as the salt water crashed against him- and when he finally made it into the room behind the waterfall, he had to spend a few good minutes f-coughing and sputtering before he could push himself against a wall and get back on his feet.

As he shuffled forward, his vision periodically disappeared and then reappeared. And with all of his other senses dulled by the cold, it felt as if the world around him was slowly slipping away from him.

Then- he saw it. A fire. A real, crackling fire.

It was just ahead of him, sitting in a large silver bowl. He slowly crept towards it, and let out a sharp gasp as his body was suddenly enveloped by a soft warm glow. The closer he got to it, the easier it was to move his body.

Dipper dropped the ice-axe and carefully held out his hands, as he basked in the warmth.

All of the numbness seemed to slowly melt away. And all of a sudden, he felt like he was alive again. He gave himself a few wonderful seconds of pure, warm bliss- before he picked up the ice-axe and slowly backed away.

He was now standing in the middle of a rocky cave. It looked like a room that someone- or some _thing_ , had been living in. There were drawings spread out all over the walls, a small bed in one corner, and a big desk that was covered in dozens of jars of all shapes and sizes. Each one of them was carefully labelled. Some of them had liquid in them, while others seemed to be filled with rocks and dust. Beside the desk was a large pile of books and papers.

On the other side of the room, there was an enormous stone slab. And lying on top of the stone slab, was Pacifica.

"Pacifica!" yelled Dipper, as he raced across the room.

She was unconscious. Her face twisted into an angry grimace. She was lying perfectly still, and Dipper had to hold his hand over her mouth just to be sure that she was actually breathing.

He let out a sigh of relief when he felt her warm breath against his fingertips. He quickly tried to move her- but she was stuck. It took him a moment to notice the enormous black markings that covered the stone slab. He recognized them in an instant.

The markings were a part of a spell that fairies sometimes as traps. The 'super-duper glue' spell, as Mabel called it. The spell was designed to keep one thing fused to another for an indefinite amount of time. Dipper had learned that the hard way.

While he stood there trying to remember how he and Mabel had managed to break the spell the first time, he heard something move behind him. Dipper gripped the ice-axe and spun around.

The creature standing in front of him was tall, and humanoid. It's skin was pale blue, and covered in large patches of thick black fur. It was wearing a collection of old, tattered clothes, all sewn together into a giant robe. There were a series of horns poking out the back of it's skull, underneath a head of thick black hair. It's eyes were completely white, and it's face looked unmistakably human.

"W-well... It would seem th-that... Y-y-you have _found_ us..." said the creature, with a small bow. "I-I am Nekri. Wh-what... What is _your_ name?"

Dipper grit his teeth. "Great. And here I thought I was dealing with another yeti or something..." he muttered. "Are you a demon? A vengeful spirit? A _were_ -yeti?"

Nekri carefully scratched his chin in thought. "I... I am many, many th-things..." he said. "B-but... But those... Those three options... I-I suppose you might say... I am all three."

"And you're not trying to eat her... If you were, you would have done it already. So..." he glanced at the stone slab that Pacifica was lying on, and frowned. "You're trying to _sacrifice_ her for something. Why?" demanded Dipper.

Nekri stared at Dipper for a moment, and smiled a little. "Y-you... You remind me... Of someone..." he said, with a twitchy smile. "Y-you are mostly correct. Th-this... This will be a sacrifice. The... The spiders... Will c-consume her... A-and I will be allowed... To continue m-my search..."

Dipper's frown deepened. "Your search...? Your search for what?" he asked.

"An answer." said Nekri.

Dipper held the ice-axe out in front of him, and grit his teeth. "Well you're _not_ going to sacrifice her. Or _anyone_ else." he growled.

Nekri shuddered. "I... I understand. B-believe me... I... I do. Th-the sacrifices... Have been great. B-but I... I _cannot_... Stop. Or-... Or else... E-everything I have done... Will have been... In _vain_. A-and... I... I will have _failed_ her..."

Dipper glanced at Pacifica, and then back at Nekri. 'It's actually crazy hard to break fairy spells, even when they're only small. This one looks much more powerful than the normal ones, too... But... Even though they're hard to break, they're actually pretty easy to _reverse_..." he took a deep breath, and looked down for a closer look- ignoring Nekri.

Pacifica wasn't covering any of the more important glyphs. Which was good news to him. Now, all he needed to do was remember that class on Fairy Spells he had taken on the internet...

'I... I only like t-to sacrifice... One at a time. E-even though... They w-would _prefer_ it if I were... _Greedy_." said Nekri. "Th-they... They didn't want... Th-they didn't want me t-to serve _her_ to them..." he continued. "S-so... So perhaps... I-I could serve _you_... Instead."

Dipper suddenly paused. He ran his hand through his hair, and winced.

"...Sorry. My sister would kill me if I went and died on her. And..." Dipper looked down at Pacifica's face, and smiled a little. "I think _she_ would too."

Nekri sighed. "...V-very well... Th-then... I s-suppose, I shall serve... You both. P-perhaps then... Th-they will not force me... T-to take the people i-in that bus... As well..." he said.

Suddenly, the room began to rumble, as Nekri let out a deafening roar. The blue spiders began to pour in from holes in the ceiling and the walls, as Nekri's body slowly changed shape. "I-I... I will keep your bones... T-together... As a testament... To your love."

Dipper's expression changed in an instant. And went from a look of adrenaline fueled concentration, to completely blank.

"What... What did you just say?" he asked.

Nekri gave him a confused look. "I-I said... Th-that I shall serve... You b-both. And-"

"No, no- after all that. Near the end."

"... Th-the bit... About a testament... To your love?"

Dipper sputtered, gasped and blushed all at the same time. "We're not- I mean, I- It's- We're not in _love_!" he yelled.

Nekri stared at him for a moment. "Uh..."

"We're not! We're just friends! She and I- I mean, there's no- There is _no_ chance! We- I mean, _she_ -... It's not true!" yelled Dipper.

"... O-... Okay?"

"Do you understand!?"

"Y-yes?"

Dipper breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I'm glad we cleared that up. Now-" Dipper quickly spun around, and wiped the blood he had wiped off of his scalp across some of the glyphs, and quickly began to add a few new ones. The spiders scurried across the floor, quickly getting closer and closer.

Then- there was a massive 'BOOM!', and Pacifica and Dipper were flung across the room. Reversing the fairy spell from 'stick' to 'repel' caused an enormous sphere of energy to suddenly burst out of the stone slab, as everything around it was flung in every direction. Without wasting any time, Dipper grabbed Pacifica in his arms, and they slid across the floor.

The stone slab quickly exploded- sending shards of stone flying in every direction. The explosion seemed to rip through the wall behind it, revealing a new tunnel.

Considering that the only other exit led to cold, salty lake- it was obvious which way he had to go. Dipper held the ice-axe in his teeth as he quickly propped Pacifica up on his back. He did his best to wrap her arms around his neck as he got to his feet.

In a flash of movement Nekri lunged at him. Dipper ripped the ice-axe out of his mouth and, while holding Pacifica on his back with one hand- swung the ice-axe straight into Nekri's face. Nekri recoiled as the ice-axe plunged into his eye.

Dipper let go of the ice-axe, and ran through the new hole in the wall, and the army of spiders immediately gave chase.

Nekri slowly pulled the ice-axe out of his eye, and huffed. "Well..." he muttered. "Th-That seemed a little... _Rude_."

Dipper ran as fast as he could. He had to lean forward to keep Pacifica's limp body on his back- which made it even harder to see where he was going in the labyrinth of dark tunnels. The spiders were right behind him, making a series of deafeningly loud clicking noises as they scrambled across the rock. There were tens of thousands of them. Potentially hundreds of thousands.

Dipper tried not to think about it.

Instead, he focused on not tripping on any of the loose rocks under his feet, and not crashing head first into a wall or something. Luckily, the bright blue glow emanating from the spiders seemed to light up the path in front of him, if only a little.

As he traveled further into the tunnels, the path seemed to grow more and more icy. Every now and then, he would feel himself stumble. And the spiders would inch ever closer. He didn't have time to grunt or complain anymore. He just had to keep pushing forward.

He took a few sharp turns, and once again barely managed to stay on his feet. The spiders didn't so much as pause. They simply kept chasing him, completely undaunted.

Pacifica was beginning to put a strain on his muscles. And the surge of adrenaline he had been coasting on for the past several minutes was quickly beginning to dissipate. Suddenly, one of the spiders crawling along the ceiling dropped down, and landed on his neck.

Dipper felt a surge of pain, as the spider dug it's fangs into him. It's abdomen shrunk and lost its blue glow, as the spider injected its venom. Dipper choked on a gasp, as he tried to brush it away with his chin. The spider quickly let go, and leaped off of him.

The rest of the spiders suddenly stopped giving chase. Dipper didn't slow down. He just kept running.

It was all he could do.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

It felt like it had been hours. Maybe it had. Either way, he kept moving.

His body was screaming for him to stop- but he wouldn't let it.

And then, he saw it. The light at the end of the tunnel.

Dipper took his first awkward steps outside, and grimaced. It was still dark. And it was still snowing heavily. And, there were still massive flashes of lightning in the distance. But- he was outside. And for once, he decided to look on the bright side.

"O-okay... S-s-so, just find... Find the bus... A-and then, m-maybe Soos c-can whip up some of his f-famous hot chocolate... Or... Or something..." he muttered. His entire body was trembling violently. It was cold. Very cold. And being drenched in salt water, blood and sweat did nothing to help. And he wasn't certain, but he was pretty sure the spider venom had a hand in it too.

"J-just gotta keep moving. Keep... Keep... Moving..." he muttered to himself, as he trudged through the snow.

There were voices in his head. Whispering things. His insides felt like they were on fire- and his outsides felt like they frozen. He was sweating, shaking and bleeding. He didn't even want to think about the lecture he was going to get from Mabel after all of this. She had gotten extra protective ever since the incident with... _Lillith_. He had been genuinely surprised by her reaction when he'd told her about the Valentines Incident. Instead of giving him a four hour lecture on the in's and out's of safety (and then proceeding to run around with a giant pair of scissors as she worked on her latest scrapbook and various sweater projects) she had pretty much given him a break.

Something told him he wasn't going to experience the same miracle twice in a row.

Dipper huffed. "...P-... Pacifica?" he muttered. There was still no response.

His heart sank. He wanted to stop and check on her. But there was nothing he could do. He had to keep moving. He could feel her warm breath on his cheek, as her head hung over his shoulder.

"...Y-... You didn't... You didn't want me... To get hurt. I-... I should have t-told you... Th-that I feel the same. You... You're not supposed to get hurt _either_ , Northwest." he muttered. Suddenly, a small smile appeared on his face. "M-maybe... Maybe I'll make you... Go th-through the Mabel lecture _with_ me. It-... It's only fair."

Dipper suddenly stopped moving. His body suddenly seemed to shut down.

Small streams of black liquid began to leak out from his eyes, nose, mouth and ears.

He grit his teeth. His body began to fluctuate wildly between feelings of numbness and searing pain. He felt Pacifica slowly slide off of his back, as his limbs went completely limp.

"N-no... No... I-" he whispered, as the world around him began to fade. Dipper grit his teeth, and forced himself to turn around and look at Pacifica. She was lying in the snow. Shivering. Her face quivering with pain. Dipper took a deep breath, and slowly knelt down in front of her.

"P-... Pacifica..." he wheezed. "I-... I can't... I..." Everything was starting spin all around him, as he struggled desperately to keep his eyes open.

"...N-... No..." Dipper shook his head, as he slowly got back to his feet. With a deep breath, he slowly unzipped his jacket. Inside, it was mostly dry. He carefully placed it over her trembling frame.

"Y-...You're going to be okay..." he muttered. "I-... I promise."

Hours passed by.

Nekri strolled across the snow, running his claws through his hair. In the distance, he caught sight of a figure standing in the snow. He blinked in surprise and walked towards it. "O-oh... Y-you're still awake, s-sir?... Th-that i-i-is quite remarkable..." muttered Nekri.

Then, he paused. And let out a small gasp.

Dipper was standing there, in front of Pacifica. Frozen in place. His eyes looked to be frozen over, as did all of his other features. But he was still standing there.

Guarding her.

"... Th-the spiders... Were w-wrong..." muttered Nekri. "Y-you... You are both... _Special_..."

There was a moment of silence, as the wind and the snow whipped around them.

"It... It b-brings g-great pain... T-to bring the end... T-to s-such... S-s-special... People... H-however..." Nekri trailed off, as his body began to grow. Enormous tufts of thick black fur popped up all over him, as his muscles slowly began to expand. The horns on the back of is head began to grow, and more began to sprout out along his spine. A long, thick tail began to take shape, as his entire frame began to expand.

Long tendrils began to grow along his arms, and an enormous diamond shaped bone formed on his chest. His forehead seemed to open up, revealing an enormous red eye, with several golden pupils.

"I... I must bring you back..." he muttered. "I... I am sorry..."

Then- time seemed to stop. The air changed in an instant. And Nekri felt a sudden surge of dread rush through his entire body.

The wind and the lightning stopped immediately. As if they were suddenly frightened into submission.

Nekri felt himself take a step back, without even meaning too. Behind Dipper and Pacifica, there stood another figure. This one tall, and covered in a long black cloak.

Nekri had to suppress a sudden urge to scream in terror.

"Who... WHO!? WHO ARE YOU!?" he bellowed.

The cloaked figure slowly drew it's hand toward it's hood, and carefully lowered it. Revealing, a skull. A simple, human skull.

And Nekri felt a deep, primal surge of fear. Something deeper than anything he had ever felt before. Overwhelming. And before he could even tell what was going on- he was already running away. Quickly changing back to his more human form. And surprisingly, the voices of the spiders drew no resistance.

They too, were frightened.

The skeleton in the cloak carefully pulled it's hood back over it's head, and turned it's attention to Dipper and Pacifica.

"..."

And a few seconds later, the blizzard suddenly resumed. And the skeleton in the cloak, along with both Dipper and Pacifica- had disappeared.

* * *

 _To be continued..._

* * *

( **AN** : I was plagued with horrifying amounts of writers block while writing this. But, I think it turned out alright. I *really* hope you guys like it, 'cuz it took... So... So much effort. By the way- with Weirdmageddon being official over (along with Gravity Falls itself) I feel like I should note that this stories version of the end of Dipper and Labels first summer in Gravity Falls is a little different from the canon. I'm not sure if I'll bother going into too much detail about it in this story, 'cuz it's not that important.)

(( Oh, also- this marks the upping from 'T' to 'M'. I'd always planned this chapter to happen this way, so don't think I changed it to reflect the new rating. Actually, I cut out a thing or too that might've been pushing some limits... ))

Anonymous \- This story *is* going to skew more horror/adventure than pure horror, but it'll still be a big part of it. Sorry. I'm doing my best to keep humour in there when it's necessary, but when things are really serious, I'm going to play them serious. Or at least, serious-ish. Now, I don't wanna say whether or not characters will or won't die in this story, because it'll kinda ruing that drama of it all. But rest assured, I would never kill a Gravity Falls character just for a cheap scare. These characters are important to me, and I'd never trivialize them like that.

Spidertron \- Good luck! It'd be pretty cool to see a Spiderman/Gravity Falls story out there. As long as Dipper stays his nerdy old self and doesn't get too angsty or anything, it could be a lot of fun.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Dunwich Inn, Part One

The school bus sat alone in a field of snow. The sky was still thick with dark clouds, casting the entire area in darkness. Inside the bus, the students were coping as best they could. Soos had managed to get the air conditioning running again, and switching it to 'heat' had allowed everyone in the bus a moment of warmth.

There was a small light directly above every seat in the bus. Some of the students had turned them off, and went to sleep. A few of them had turned their lights on to read, or even get some of their extra school work done. Others were simply talking amongst themselves in hushed tones.

In the middle of the bus, Marius was sitting quietly in his seat and staring blankly out the window. Outside, it seemed like a swirling abyss of black and white. The snowstorm seemed to be getting all the more violent as time passed by. Every now and again, he would see a flash of lightning somewhere off in the distance. The clap of thunder that came soon after would rock the entire bus, causing some students to let out small gasps or shrieks.

Marius however, remained silent.

Marius von Fundhauser had been through a lot of unusual things during his relatively short life time. He had been raised primarily by his grandparents, ever since his father died in what had been described to him as a 'freak sauerkraut accident'. His mother had died shortly after giving birth to him.

He had been born into nobility, of course. So unlike many other orphans, Marius had lived a life of great luxury. He tried not to take that for granted.

Marius had been home-schooled throughout his entire childhood. He had been taught by a long line of some of the greatest teachers in the world. Among the usual subjects, he had also been taught fencing, horse riding, caviar appreciation and various other stereotypical rich person things.

During his free time, he would attend various charitable functions across the world. He had even taken to volunteering at a nearby orphanage. He would do everything from cooking, to cleaning, to reading to the younger children. He had gained such a reputation for his charity work, that some people had even taken to referring to him as 'Prince Charming'.

Most of the people who referred to him as Prince Charming, were doing so with an air of sarcasm. Many people seemed to think that his charity work was some kind of desperate ploy for attention.

But for Marius, it was nothing short of flattering. One of his greatest dreams was to be a hero. It was a dream he had been holding on to for as long as he could remember. And the 'Prince Charming' from his grandparents old fairy tales seemed like the perfect role model.

Nobel and courageous. Unafraid to stand up for the greater good.

A knight in shining armor.

'You are a _coward_. And a fool.'

Marius felt his hands tighten into fists. It wasn't often that he got angry. He usually preferred to keep a level head. But whenever he thought about _that_ man...

He took a deep breath, and tried to shake it off. He soon found himself looking around the bus, searching desperately for something to take his mind off the past. Then, he noticed Grenda. Sitting close to the back of the bus, and smiling.

He felt a familiar sting in his chest, and his heart began to sink.

'Vielleicht sollte ich nicht hierher gekommen sind...' he thought, as he sank back into his seat.

"... Maybe I should not have come here.." he repeated, this time aloud and in English.

He let out another sigh, and went back to staring out the window.

His reasons for suddenly enrolling in Lovecraft Boarding School were somewhat... Complicated. His grandparents had insisted on it. They said he would be 'safe' there. Safe from _what_ exactly, they had never told him. All he really knew, was that it was supposed to be a secret. He had some suspicions, but he couldn't be sure.

Marius sighed again, as he gently pressed his forehead against the window. Outside, it was pitch black. All he could really see was his own reflection. He looked tired. His long brown hair seemed a little more unkempt than usual, and if he looked hard enough, he could just make out what looked like beard stubble on his upper lip.

Marius suddenly remembered something that Grenda had told him, back when they were still in a relationship.

"Facial hair is _so_ cool! You should grow some! You'll look like the most awesome guy in all of Australia!"

Marius smiled a little, but it quickly faded. It had been quite some time since she had broken up with him, and everything he had tried to get her back had failed. Sometimes spectacularly. But even after had forced himself to give up- Grenda held a special place in his heart. Marius gently rubbed his upper lip with a gloved hand, and frowned a little.

"...It is foolish of me to think... That facial hair might have her change her mind..." he muttered to himself.

"Heya, Marius!"

At the sound of the voice, Marius practically jumped out of his own skin. He let out a high pitched yelp before he spun around in his seat to face the source of the voice.

Mabel Pines was standing in the aisle between the bus seats, carrying what looked like a mountain of junkfood. There were lollipops, chocolate bars, packets of marshmallows, potato chips, chocolate chip cookies and all manner of other things. Marius stared at the pile of junkfood for a moment, and then turned his attention back to Mabel.

Mabel grinned. "Aw, don't worry about that, Marius. I catch Dipper checking for facial hair all the time." she said.

Marius blushed a little, and cleared his throat. "M-... May I help you, Miss Mabel?" he asked.

Mabel nodded. "Yeah! Our study group is having a big card tournament, and we're betting _all_ of our bus snacks. The stakes have _never_ been higher." she announced. "We're all moving to the back of the bus, so there's room. Come and join us! It's gonna be the battle of the century!"

Marius glanced back at Grenda, and rand his hand over his upper lip. He felt his chest start to tighten, and his heart sink. He took a deep breath, and sighed. "Miss Mabel... Perhaps it is being for the best, if I... If I stay out of your... 'Study group'." he muttered.

Mabel blinked, and tilted her head just enough to make her look like a curious puppy. Then, she suddenly cleared her throat and rose her voice. "Candy! Gill! Could you guys take all of this stuff to the back of the bus for me?" she barked, paying no mind to the many dirty looks she was receiving from the other students.

It was enough to stir Mrs Voorhees, who twitched, muttered something about killing teenagers, and then seemed to settle back to sleep.

From the back of the bus, Gideon and Candy took a break from glaring at each other to walk over to Mabel and collect the junk food. As they made their way back, Mabel began to carefully squeeze past Mrs Voorhees, before setting herself down between Mrs Voorhees and Marius. It was a tight fit, and Marius had to press himself against the window to give her enough room to sit.

Once she was settled, Mabel turned to face him. "Alright, what's up?" she asked.

Marius wriggled a little in his seat. "Er..." he muttered. "Entschuldigen Sie?"

There was a long pause, as Mabel simply stared at him. Looking curious.

Marius sighed. "... Sorry..." he muttered. "What do you mean by 'what's up'?"

"Well, I dunno... You've been doin' a whole bunch of sighing and staring off into the distance lately. And usually, that means something's up. So... What is it?" asked Mabel.

Marius fell silent, as he slowly shifted his gave to the floor.

"It's about Grenda, right?" asked Mabel.

Marius flinched a little. "...Ja..." he muttered.

Mabel rubbed the back of her head, and sighed."... I'm sorry. I knew it'd be kinda awkward and all... Inviting you to our gang and stuff..." she muttered.

There was an awkward pause between the two of them, while Mrs Voorhees continued to snore and grumble to herself.

Finally, Marius spoke up.

"Then... Miss Mabel... I must ask you... Why? Why... Did you invite me?" he asked.

Mabel smiled. "Because you're a good guy, Marius. Plus- when I saw you looking like a little lost puppy in the dining room... I just had to help out! It's the right thing to do!" she exclaimed.

"I-... I see..." muttered Marius.

"Besides... You kinda reminded me of someone else I know that always looks kinda lonely..." said Mabel, in a much quieter voice.

Marius thought for a moment. "...You mean you're brother?" he asked.

Mabel's eye turned downcast for a moment, but she quickly shook it off. And Marius suddenly got the feeling that he had said something he shouldn't of. Before he had the chance to apologize, however- Mabel had spoken up again.

"No... I was actually kinda thinking about Pacifica... Although... Maybe a bit of Dipper, too..." she muttered.

"I, apologize, Miss Mabel. I-... I did not mean to insinuate anything about your brother. I-"

"No. You're... You're right. He always acts like he's all alone. Even when I'm around. It gets a little annoying sometimes. Sometimes it makes me just wanna smack him! I mean, we're supposed to be in this together, you know! Mystery twins for life!" she exclaimed.

"...I'm sure that he is still thinking of you, Miss Mabel." said Marius.

Mabel sighed. "I know that. It's just... I dunno. I guess it's kind of a guy thing. He wants to carry all of his burdens all by himself, because he thinks that by doing that- then no one'll get hurt. I just wish he'd get it through his dumb face that some people actually _care_ about him. And... And they feel _sad_ when they see him closing himself off from the rest of the world... Even if it is to protect everyone. Or... himself."

There was another moment of awkward silence between them. And once again, Marius was the one to break it.

"I have not really spoken to your brother... But, if he has such a caring sibling... Then I am certain that he will be okay." said Marius.

Mabel smiled a little. "Thanks... Marius..." she muttered.

Before yet another moment of silence could fall between them, Mabel suddenly shot up to her feet. "O-kay! Now, what do you say to a psychological battle for card-based dominance!" she exclaimed.

Marius hesitated for a moment, but finally relented. "...Very well." he muttered.

Wearing a victorious grin, Mabel led Marius to the back of the bus, where Grenda, Gideon and Candy were all waiting impatiently.

"Oh yeah, well I'm gunna eat those gummi things right in front of you!" yelled Gideon.

Candy let out a dramatic gasp. "You _monster_!" she exclaimed.

Grenda was sitting between them, looking bored.

"Alright, everyone! It's officially time for the Epic Card _Explosion_! The stakes are high! Now, prepare yourselves for the battle of a lifetime!" Mabel exclaimed.

Candy pumped her fist into the air and cheered in solidarity, while Gideon did his very best not to look nervous in front of Mabel. In his puppet body, it was easy not to blush or start sweating profusely- since it was impossible to do so in the first place. All he had to do was keep himself from trembling. Which was proving to be harder than he thought.

Grenda however, stood up. And, with an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face, she walked over to Marius.

Marius stepped backwards a little, only to feel Mabel subtly nudge him forward. Before he could ask what was going on, Grenda loudly cleared her throat.

"Hey, Marius..." she muttered. "Listen... I know I've been kind of... A jerk to you, these past couple of days..." she said, before giving Mabel a stern look. "Honestly, I didn't really think I'd wind up hanging out with my ex-boyfriend..." she grumbled.

Mabel avoided eye contact, and pretended to whistle.

Grenda's features quickly softened. "But... Look. To be honest, I didn't really like how... How we ended things, and... ARGH! This is so hard!" she bellowed.

Mabel and Candy spoke up in unison. "You can do it, Grenda! You're almost there!"

Grenda let out a loud sigh. "But, listen... You were always a good guy, and I think... I think I'd like to try and be friends with you..." she said. "I... I really hate awkward stuff like this... Okay? So just... What do you say? Friends?" she asked, as she extended her hand out in front of her.

Marius stared at her for a moment, as a flood of memories suddenly washed over him. He remembered every date, every smile they had shared, and every kiss. His chest tightened.

He was still in love with her. He knew it the moment he set eyes on her again in the dining room. But as he stared at her extended hand, he felt the tightness in his chest slowly soften.

He loved and respected Grenda. She was everything he had always sought in himself. She was strong, and brave. She was his very first love. And now... He had to let it go.

Marius took a deep breath."I... I would be honored, Grenda. Thank you." he said, as he gently shook her hand.

Mabel and Candy cheered in the background, while Gideon focused on fixing his wig for the umpteenth time- completely unaware of what was happening directly in front of him.

As Marius and Grenda took their seats, Marius took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. He was happy to be back on speaking terms with Grenda. But that didn't stop the pain in his chest. He took another deep breath, and glanced at Grenda.

She was smiling again.

And all of a sudden, so was he.

Finally, with everyone sitting at the back of the bus, Mabel puffed out her chest to make a grand proclamation.

"Now that that's out of the way- let the Infinitely Epic Card Explosion of Doom... Begin!" she announced.

And with that, the five remaining members of the study group began what would go down in history amongst the other students, as the loudest and most annoying card game in history.

And for the first time in a while, Marius felt... Happy.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Soos had been standing outside for what seemed like an eternity, armed only with a flashlight and his keen sense of observation. He was on lookout duty- doing his best to keep an eye out for any inconceivable horrors and/or chupacabra's that might decide that a bus full of teenagers was too good a meal to pass up.

The snow storm seemed to be fluctuating. Going from bad, to worse, to suddenly going still- and then back again. It was still pitch black outside, save for the occasional flash of lightning.

Soos rubbed his gloved hands together, and huffed. "...C'mon, Dipper..." he muttered. "Don't to this to me, dude..."

It had been hours since he had watched Dipper and Pacifica disappear into the snow. He wanted to go after them, but he couldn't leave his post. Plus, there was a very good chance that he would only end up getting himself lost.

Soos let out a long sigh. A few more minutes passed by, and he still couldn't hear or see anything but the storm.

As time continued to tick by, Soos found himself starting to daydream.

It was the usual thing. He and Melody, standing in front of the Mystery Shack. In front of them, a group of kids. Three or four of them- he hadn't decided quite yet. Two boys, and two girls.

He imagined sending them off to school. Watching Saturday morning cartoons with them. Watching them grow up. He thought about how he would always be there for them. No matter what.

Soos grinned.

In that future, he would invite the Stan twins to dinner every night. And they'd go camping together, along with the kids. Dipper and Mabel would be all grown up. Which would be kinda weird, but also kinda cool. Gravity Falls would continue to age along with him- but it would always have that same air of mystery to it. And he'd make Melody smile at least once every day- without fail.

"I wonder if she'd let me name the kids after giant robots... 'Extreme-a-tron' wouldn't be bad... Oh!" he suddenly exclaimed, slapping himself on the forehead for emphasis. "How could I have missed it! 'Gun-Sword'! I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier! No-one would mess with a kid called 'Gun-Sword'! It's _perfect_!"

As Soos continued to build his list of perfect names, which included 'Mega-Ultra-Omega-Dynamic X', 'Super Metroid' and 'Stan', he noticed something in the distance.

A small flicker of movement. He frowned a little. "Alright... I guess I'd better lock all of those awesome names away in the memory bank... I wish I had a pen or something... Oh, wait! I think I do! Just need something to write on... I wonder if Mrs Voorhees will mind if I use some of those bandages she keeps wrapped around her head..." he muttered, as he took a few steps forward. He thought for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Focus, Soos." he told himself, as he held his flashlight out in front of him. "Hey! Dipper! Pacifica! Is that you, dudes!?" he called out.

Two figures slowly emerged from the darkness.

Soos gasped. "Dudes! It _is_ you!" he exclaimed, as Dipper and Pacifica stepped into the light of his flashlight. They both looked a little different from normal. They were both visibly shaken, and Pacifica's hair was a complete mess. She was also wearing sunglasses, for no apparent reason.

Dipper seemed to be standing a little taller than usual. His hair seemed a little darker and silkier than usual. As if Mabel had just attacked him with a pile of hair care products. He was still wearing his glasses, but somehow they were less... Nerdy. In fact, the way he was wearing them- they almost looked... _Cool_.

But before all of that, the first thing he noticed, and the thing that shocked Soos to his very core- was that they were holding hands.

Soos gaped at them for a moment. Finally, he snapped out of it just long enough to sputter a few words. "Wha- What happened?" he asked. 'Are they going _steady_ now? Is that it? I have to tell Stan! And Mabel! And then Stan again!' he thought.

Dipper and Pacifica shared a nervous look, before Dipper finally cleared his throat and rose his voice. "Jes! Eet iz us! Jou're allies... Deeper, and Specifica!" 'Dipper' exclaimed, as he took a bow. 'Pacifica' immediately smacked him on the back of the head.

"Oi! It's pronounced _Pacifica_! It's a _Pa_! Ya damn _frog_!" she bellowed.

'Dipper' rubbed the back of his head, and scowled. "Jou are ze _worst_..." he muttered.

Soos blinked, and rubbed his chin. "Uh... You know- Something seems a little _off_ about you guys..." he said.

"Is that 'ow you blokes go about talkin' ta everyone ya meet!? 'Ow about invitin' us in the cold instead o' goin' around callin' people _off_? Ya damn gorilla-mouse!" exclaimed 'Pacifica'.

Soos simply stood there, looking dumbfounded.

"Oh! Look over zere!" exclaimed Dipper, as he pointed at the bus. Soos turned to look, and while he had his back turned- 'Dipper' smacked 'Pacifica' on the back of the head. "Jou eediot! Ve are under ze cover! Remember? Jou must act refined! Like ze rich girl!" he whispered.

'Pacifica' stuck her pinky up her nose and grunted. "Sounds like too much bloody trouble if ya ask me." she grumbled.

"Well no one is asking _jou_!" hissed 'Dipper'.

Soos turned back around, still looking confused. "Uh... There was nothing there, dude." he said.

'Dipper' let out an awkward cough. "Jes, vell- I suppose all zis snow eez making me a little... Ow jou say... _Off_."

"Uh... Yeah... I, uh... I can see that... Hey, did you somehow grow a mustache while you were out there?" asked Soos, as he pointed at the thin black mustache sitting above 'Dipper's upper lip. In a flash of movement, 'Pacifica' quickly grabbed it, and promptly tore it off.

"KYAAA!" screamed 'Dipper', as 'Pacifica' threw the mustache away behind her.

"What mustache?" she asked, doing her very best to look innocent.

Soos opened his mouth to say something, only to slowly close it again. "Uh... _Huh_..." he muttered.

There was a long, awkward silence as the three of them stood there in the snow. Finally, Soos cleared his throat. "So, uh... Listen... Are you dudes like, some kind of ancient alien demon things that're pretending to be Dipper and Pacifica so that you can lead me and everyone else to their painful demise?" he asked.

'Pacifica' huffed. "Well, I wouldn't say we're _ancient_..." she muttered.

'Dipper' coughed and sent 'Pacifica' an angry glare. "What Specifica _means_ to zay, eez zat ve are normal. Jes. Very... Very... Normal."

'Pacifica' shrugged, and went back to picking her nose.

Soos frowned and scratched the back of his head. "Well... I guess if you really were shape-shifting alien-demons... Then you'd probably be a lot better at this than you are..." he muttered.

'Dipper' nodded enthusiastically. "Jes! Our ineptness _proves_ our humanity!" he exclaimed.

"Buuuut..." Soos continued. "If there's one thing I've learned in all my years back at the Mystery Shack... It's that even monsters and alien-demons can be bad at their jobs. Especially time-travelers." he muttered, as he stroked his chin in thought.

'Dipper' gulped as he nervously tugged on his collar. "W-well, jes... But, as ve stated... Ve are ze real Deeper and Specifica. I-... I mean... Look! Ve are 'olding hands! Only ze real Deeper and Specifica would do this, jes?" he said.

"Nope. They're in sort of a 'Tsun-dere' phase right now. I think they're still a little ways off from being all 'Dere-dere'. Of course- that's just me." said Soos, with a simply shrug.

'Dipper' blinked. "Er... What?" he muttered.

'Pacifica' snorted. "They're anime terms, ya uncultured _frog_. And wait! Are you tellin' me that we've been holding hands all this time for no bloody reason!?" she exclaimed.

'Dipper' grimaced. "Believe me, I am 'ave much more reason to be upset about that than jou do." he muttered.

'Pacifica' finished picking her nose, and wiped the snot off on her skirt. Then, she frowned. "What's _that_ s'posed to mean?" she growled.

'Dipper' sighed. " _Nuzzing_..." he muttered.

There was another awkward pause between the three of them. Until finally, Dipper sighed and slumped his shoulders- looking defeated. Then, he slowly rose his hand up in front of him.

The snow suddenly stopped in the air, as Soos felt a wave of warmth wash over him, from head to toe.

"Everyzing iz... Normal. Ve are ze Dipper, and ze Pacifica. Ve 'ave found ze way to shelter. You will follow uz... To zis shelter... Understood?" asked 'Dipper'.

Soos' features slowly went slack, as he gave 'Dipper' a slow nod.

"Perfect. Jou zee, Yeb? I told jou. Zis eez going to be ze 'walk in ze park'!" exclaimed 'Dipper'.

'Pacifica' let out a snort. "Please. In the end ya just used ya bloody _hypnosis_ on 'im _. I_ coulda done that all on my _own_ , ya damn frog." she growled.

'Dipper' sighed. "Yes, vell- 'e eez not ze only one ve are to bring to ze Inn, now eez 'e?"

'Pacifica' rolled her eyes. "Whatever. But if you wind up just usin' yer hypnosis again, then ya can owe me a Pitt. And not just a can, 'neither. I wanna _bottle_."

'Dipper' sighed once more. "... Very well..."

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

The air was thick with tension, as five teenagers exchanged curious glances. Each one of them were biding their time. Doing their best to analyze their opponent. Looking deep into their eyes for any sign of weakness. Each one fully prepared to strike at any moment.

Except of course, for Marius. Who still seemed to have no idea what kind of card game they were actually supposed to be playing.

He glanced down at the cards in his hands.

One of them had a picture of a cowboy dancing with a unicorn in the pale moonlight. Another one seemed to depict a furry orange creature sitting on a blue dinosaur and playing a banjo. The card next to that one depicted a creature that was labelled as a 'Snadger'.

Sitting across from him, Grenda suddenly pumped her fist into the air. "YEAH! Alright! _I_ summon the centaur-taur! Take that!" she exclaimed, as she slapped a card down on the floor in front of her.

Candy gasped. "Oh, _no_... It can't be!" she exclaimed.

Grenda grinned as she let out a low, evil chuckle. "That's right! And with it's infinite power... I shall be the snack food champion!" she announced.

Candy and Mabel reeled back in terror, as Grenda gave a sinister chuckle.

A voice suddenly interrupted the dramatic scene, just before Grenda got the chance to deliver her loud victory speech.

"Hey... Dudes... Dipper. And. Pa. Ci. Fi. Ca. Have... Come. Back."

The group looked up from the game to find Soos standing over them, looking... odd. He was blinking one eye at a time for one thing. And as he stood there, he seemed to be making a series of quiet whirring sounds.

Behind him, stood Dipper and Pacifica.

"Hey... Why's he acting all... Robot-ey? You only hypnotized 'im to 'obey', right?" whispered Pacifica.

Dipper sighed. "I believe... Zat he thinks he eez a robot now." he muttered.

Pacifica frowned. "O-kaaay... And _why_ does he think he's a robot now?" she whispered.

Dipper gave her a helpless shrug.

Suddenly, there was a blur of colors as Mabel leapt from her spot and launched herself at Dipper. She managed to wrap he arms tightly around him, before they were both sent tumbling across the floor.

Mabel quickly got back to her feet, and carefully helped Dipper do the same. "You're okay!" she exclaimed, before wrapping her arms around him for another spine crushing hug. Dipper gave Pacifica a pleading look, as he did his very best to wriggle out of Mabel's grip.

Pacifica picked her nose, and flashed him an evil grin. She didn't have very long to chuckle at his misfortune however, because before she knew it she had been grabbed by the collar- and pulled into the hug.

The sound of bones cracking filled the air for a good few seconds, before Mabel finally let them go. Dipper and Pacifica were forced to lean against each other in order to recover. Both of them were gasping desperately for air.

"What took you guys so long!? We've already finished the big game of Mabel-Cards!" exclaimed Mabel.

Dipper wheezed and grimaced. "Jes... Jes..." he muttered. "Vell... Jou see... We got a little... How jou say... 'Lost'. But, rest assured, we did manage to find ze perfect place for us to spend ze night. Eet eez an old 'Inn'. Not far from here..." he explained.

Mabel frowned a little. "I see..." she muttered. She thought for a moment, and then glanced at Pacifica. "Hey, so... How did it go? With you guys out there all alone? Did anything... _Happen_?" she asked, with a wicked smile.

Pacifica blinked. "Huh? Oh... Uh-... What happened was... Well... Whatever _you_ thought was going to happen." she said.

Mabel sighed. "You mean you just bickered most of the time?" she asked.

Pacifica nodded. "Yeah. Sure. That. Whatever." she muttered.

Mabel took a long deep breath, and sighed.

As Mabel began to pout and mutter about Dipper and Pacifica being 'no fun', Dipper loudly cleared his throat.

"Attention! I, ze very _normal_ and heroic 'Deeper'- togezzer with my faithful sidekick, 'Specifica'-" Dipper was suddenly cut off when Pacifica plunged her elbow into his stomach. He let out a loud wheeze and a gasp, followed by a few angry words in what sounded like Latin.

Pacifica gave him an angry snarl. "Call me your bloody 'sidekick' again, and I'll tie your tentacles in knots and feed you to the spiders." she whispered, angrily.

Dipper shot her an equally angry look. "Oh, yeah? Well I'll tell mother about that pet _boyband_ you've been keeping in the basement." he growled.

Pacifica grit her teeth. "And then I'll flood the Earth with your _blood_." she growled.

Dipper huffed. "Then I'll flood the solar system with _yours_." he growled.

"Well, _I'll_ flood the universe!"

"Then _I'll_ flood the _multi_ -verse!"

By now, Dipper and Pacifica had pressed their foreheads against each other as they glared and hissed at each other. Then, they noticed that they were both still in the center of attention. Slowly, they moved away from each other, and Dipper cleared his throat again.

He was just about to speak, when Pacifica suddenly pushed him aside. "Oi! If you guys wanna freeze ta death in this old rust-bucket, you can go ahead. But anyone who _doesn't_ \- follow me. There's an Inn not too far from here- with warmth and food and all that other human stuff."

Dipper nodded. "Jes. Eet 'as all of ze 'human stuff'. Like... Uh... Like... Bathrooms? And... And, uh... You know... More bathrooms?"

Pacifica gave him a look.

"What?" sputtered Dipper.

Pacifica sighed, and shook her head."Everyone, feel free to ignore the _idiot_ and follow me to sanctuary!" she announced.

Soos, standing beside her, nodded robotically. "Affirmative. Children. Please collect your luggage and execute exiting procedures."

The students talked amongst themselves for a few minutes. Then, with a collective shrug, they slowly retrieved their bags from the overhead racks, and made their way out of the bus.

Mabel was quiet as she joined the crowd. Candy and Gideon had apparently already found something new to bicker about, and Marius seemed to be doing his best to try and keep the peace. Grenda collected her winnings, and walked side by side with Mabel as they made their way towards the exit.

"... Hey, Mabel?"

"Hm?"

"I, uh... I don't really know Dipper or Pacifica real well, but... That wasn't them, was it?" asked Grenda.

Mabel nodded.

"Huh... Do you have a plan? You know- in case they try to eat us or something?"

Mabel thought for a moment. "I don't know..." she muttered. "But... No matter what happens... We'll need to stick together."

"Oh, don't worry. I've got that covered." said Grenda, with a warm smile.

Mabel smiled back. "Thanks, Grenda."

"So... Should we tell the others?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure Candy and Gideon'll have figured it out..."

"Wait- who?"

"Huh? Oh- uh... _Gill_. I meant Gill."

Grenda looked mildly confused, as she and Mabel stepped out of the bus and into the snow. Mrs Voorhees was standing amongst the crowd, being oddly quiet. It wasn't until Mabel was standing next to her, that she heard Mrs Voorhees snoring. Apparently, she was sleeping on her feet. Which was easily as impressive as it was off-putting.

"It ain't too far! Everyone just huddle up!" yelled Pacifica.

Soos nodded robotically. "Affirmative. And beware of chupacabra's. The chupacabra's haunt my dreams."

Dipper and Pacifica shared a confused look, followed by a shrug.

"Er... Jes. And beware of ze chupacabra." added Dipper.

"Negative. Chupacarbra's. Plural. As in more than one." said Soos, in the same robotic tone.

Dipper sighed. "Whatever..." he muttered. "Can we just go already?"

From amongst the crowd, someone suddenly rose their hand.

"Er... Do you not think it would be best to stay with the bus? Rather than travel through this storm... We could wait for rescue in there. It is not being so bad..." called out Marius, as he did his best to keep the snarling Gideon and Candy at arms length from each other.

All of a sudden, a massive bolt of lightning leapt out of the sky and crashed into the bus. In an instant, the bus burst into flames.

All of the students turned to face the fire, each one of them wearing a mixed expression of horror and complete surprise.

Marius slowly lowered his hand. "I... I retract my last statement." he muttered.

As the group began to travel through the snow, led by the fake Dipper and the fake Pacifica, Mabel sighed. She could feel the familiar sense of dread that always came around whenever she was about to go into a big adventure. As usual- it was mostly thrilling. Unfortunately, she couldn't enjoy it.

Because even though she had her two best friends in the world, a new friend who was also her best friends ex, and a boy who had given off major 'stalker' vibes for most of the time she had known him... There were still two missing pieces.

Mabel bit her lip. "Please... Please just be okay, Dipper... Pacifica..." she muttered.

" _Please_."

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

A soft melody began to drift through the air, as Dipper and Pacifica began to stir.

They were lying on their backs, on an endless dark surface. The area around them appeared as an endless void. They were both damp and pale. Only an hour ago, they had both had an intense poison coursing through their veins, and they had both been slowly freezing to death. One of them almost had.

Hovering above them both, was a small black orb. It was impossible to really see, as it seemed to blend in with the dark environment. But as time passed, that began to change. The orb slowly began to change color. Going from black, to a very dark red. As time passed, the color slowly began to brighten.

Dozens of thin lines began to slowly rise out of Dipper and Pacifica. Each one of them spiraled into the orb. The ice that had been encrusted all over them began to melt, and travel up the lines and into the orb. Some of the lines began to thicken, as black liquid seemed to seep out of their pores.

The black liquid was a by-product of the spiders poison. Soon the poison itself, a thick blue liquid, joined the black liquid in travelling up the lines and swirling into the orb. The orb eventually began to glow a deep red.

Some of the lines began to writhe as they slowly turned yellow. The color began to return to their faces, and their cuts and bruises seemed to fade away.

Eventually, the lines began to fade away. Leaving only the floating red orb, and the music that continued to drift eerily across the void.

The source of the music was an old piano, sitting just a small distance from Dipper and Pacifica. The piano was dark brown, and covered with lines and patterns made of gold and silver. Sitting at the piano, and running his long fingers across the keys, was a tall old man, wearing a long black suit.

His short gray hair was parted to the side, and his face was very pale. Almost sickly. His expressions seemed to be permanently set into something resembling a mix of a sneer, and a scowl. His eyes were cold. As if there were no life behind them.

His gloved fingers continued to run across the keys, as the orb hovering above Dipper and Pacifica continued to glow.

And then, the orb burst into smoke.

The old man suddenly stopped playing the melody, and stepped away from his piano. As he made his away toward Dipper and Pacifica, he pulled a pair of thin, wire-frame glasses out of his breast pocket, and slid them on his face. Suddenly, the piano began playing again. All by itself.

The old man slid the glasses up the bridge of his nose, as his gaze moved over to Pacifica. There was a flicker of something in his eyes. An emotion he thought he had long forgotten.

The old man extended an arm. Suddenly, the sleeve of his expensive shirt seemed to turn to smoke, revealing underneath it an arm of only bone. Everything around him began to turn to smoke, including his face.

All of sudden, he was a skeleton. Cloaked in black smoke.

Slowly, Dipper and Pacifica began to sink into the darkness.

It wasn't until they had sunk fully into the darkness, that the smoke around the man began to take the shape of a suit once more, and the mans stern looking facial expression once again graced his face.

The man muttered Pacifica's name to himself, and then he muttered Dippers true name.

His frown deepened a little.

"When you awaken, you two shall find yourselves in another world. Stay on your path... Trust no one but each other. And the two of you may very well triumph against the third piece."

There was a moment of silence, as the man put away his glasses and carefully adjusted his cuff-links. Then, the man went back to playing his piano.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

"YOU! Keep up or we'll leave you out here to freeze! And _you_! Just because I don't know what your name is, it don't mean I won't suspend the _snot_ out of you!" roared Mrs Voorhees.

The group of students, along with the hypnotized Soos and the fake Dipper and Pacifica, had been walking through the snow for only a few minutes now. However, the combination of the harsh weather and the bitter cold was working to make it feel like they had been walking for an eternity. The only person who seemed unaffected by the weather, was Gideon. Even the fake Dipper and Pacifica were shivering from the cold.

Gideon was the only one who wasn't desperately huddling against someone else in a bid for warmth. He didn't need to. His puppet body didn't feel the temperature. Nor did it feel pain. He didn't eat or sleep anymore, either. Everything around him felt like a hazy dream. One that he was barely even a part of.

He didn't know if he could even count himself as being 'alive' anymore. It certainly didn't _feel_ like he was.

Gideon buried his gloved hands into his jacket. He couldn't feel the cotton on his hands, nor could he feel the snow under his feet.

He sighed. But not breath left his mouth.

"Hey... Gill? Are you okay?"

If Gideon still had eyebrows, he would have frowned. Candy had broken away from the group to walk next to him. He tightened his jaw. "I'm _fine_." he spat. "What're ya'll doin' over here, anyway? Shouldn't you be over there? Pallin' it up with whats-her-face and fancy-pants?"

Candy thought for a moment. "Do you mean Marius and Grenda?" she asked.

Gideon snorted."Well, not in that order- but yeah. Now why don't you go off and bother _them_?"

Candy shrugged. "I thought that you might be getting cold over here, all by yourself." she said, in a matter-of-fact tone. "And it just so happens that I have a spare sweater here... Mabel knitted it herself." she said, as she pulled a sweater out of her backpack. It was bright purple, with the word 'Dipcifica' written across the chest in large pink letters.

Gideon stared at it for a moment. "What is _that_?" he asked.

"Well, Mabel made it because she wants to make Dipper and Pacifica wear a matching pair when they get back. It will be an incredible 'scrap-book-a-tunity'. I think so too." said Candy.

Gideon stared at the sweater for a moment, and then he moved his gaze up to Candy. He frowned, inwardly. "...So ya'll already figured out that they ain't the real Dipper and Pacifica?" he asked.

Candy nodded. "Yes."

"Really? Since when're you able to figure out _anythin_ '?" asked Gideon.

In a flash of movement, Candy wrapped the sweater around Gideon's mouth, and tied it as tightly as she could. Gideon made a few muffled noises as he struggled to pull the sweater off of his face.

"I learned how to see through disguises a long time ago. It is all a part of maturing." said Candy.

Gideon managed to unravel the sweater just enough to make space for his mouth. "Pfft- Maturing? You still look and _act_ like a kindergartner. Only more _violent_."

This time, Candy managed to shove the majority of the sweater into his mouth.

"Listen... Mabel thinks that we should all stick together. And... I agree. I have... Bad feelings." said Candy.

Gideon finally removed the sweater, and huffed. "Fine. Whatever." he muttered.

Candy frowned. "I am being _serious_."

"Well, I'm being serious- alright? I'll die a thousand times before I let _anythin_ ' happen to Mabel. But I ain't no hero. And there ain't nothin' I can do in this... This _body_." muttered Gideon. "And even if I weren't like this... She'd be better off without me. _Everyone_ would."

Candy's frown deepened. There was silence between them, as she carefully pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She took a deep breath, and sighed. "You can still _change_." said Candy. "Into a hero... Or even just a normal boy. Your path is not predetermined. It will always be your choice."

Gideon went silent.

Candy opened her mouth to say something else- only to be suddenly interrupted by a burst of light, followed immediately by a massive burst of thunder.

Both Candy and Gideon, along with the entire group, looked out ahead just in time to see an enormous silhouette set against a bright backdrop. It was a silhouette of an enormous log-cabin, sitting on top of a hill

At the front of the group, the fake Dipper and Pacifica breathed a sigh of relief. "We're here!" they announced.

As the group made their way towards the staircase that led up to the big cabin, Candy turned to face Gideon. But, he had already walked away.

Candy sighed.

"...I think I am starting to understand why Mabel invited you... Gideon." she muttered.

There was a long wooden staircase running up the side of the hill. The stairs grounded and complained as everyone slowly made their way up, towards the enormous cabin on top. Sitting on a hook by the doorway, there was an enormous lantern. Unfortunately, it looked like it had fizzled out, so it was almost impossible to make out any details on the front door.

As soon as the fake Dipper and Pacifica made it to the doorway, it suddenly swung open. Revealing a tall man, wearing a dull grey suit that looked like it had been hastily patched and sewn together several times over.

"Welcome..." muttered the man. "I-it is an honor... T-to make your acquaintance."

The fake Dipper and Pacifica rolled their eyes and pushed him aside. As they walked through the doorway, everyone else slowly followed suit.

The room inside was enormous. The walls were made up of a stack of massive wooden logs, and decorated with a variety of lanterns. They were all hanging off of nails in the walls. Each lantern was a different shape, size and color from the one next to it- and each one of them was lit. Basking the room in a warm orange glow.

The floor seemed to be made out of long panels of dark black wood, all of it polished so highly that it was possible for the students to see their reflections in it. The front desk was enormous, and made of the same black wooden material. Across the front of the desk, the words 'Dunwich Inn' were written in big golden letters.

The man who had greeted them at the doorway moved behind the desk, and gently cleared his throat. "Welcome to the Dunwich Inn." he said, with a small bow.

The crowd of students poured into the room, all of them talking amongst themselves and enjoying the refreshing warmth in the air.

"Wow! This place is like one of the fanciest places I've ever been too!" exclaimed Grenda, from somewhere amongst the crowd of students. From somewhere else in the crowd, Candy nodded to herself. "Yes... But I think that it needs more chandeliers... You can not be 'fancy' without chandeliers."

"What if they installed a bunch of disco balls?" asked Grenda.

Candy seemed to consider that for a moment. "Hmm... Maybe..." she muttered. "But you would also need some lasers. And smoke machines."

"And a pinata!" yelled Grenda.

"Ugh- Ya'll 're just tryin' to make this place into some kinda _dance_ club!" yelled Gideon. "And besides- Ya can't have a dance club without _kareoke_! What're we, _animals_!?"

Mrs Voorhees calmly placed her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a pen. There was a massive 'thunk', as the pen was suddenly embedded into Gideon's wooden forehead. "Shut. Up." she growled. " _All_ of you."

Gideon pulled the pen out of his forehead, and muttered angrily to himself.

Mrs Voorhees pulled another pen out of her pocket, and started spinning it in her hand as she turned to face the man behind the front desk. "Now... What'd you say yer name was?" she growled.

The man took another small bow. "James... Nekri..." he muttered.

Mrs Voorhees frowned. The man behind the counter was tall, and very thin. His skin was pale, and his eyes had dark rings around them. He looked like somebody who belonged in the faculty back at the school. His eyes were a bright and deep blue, and his short black hair was a mess. He was taller than she was, but he still looked very young.

"How old are you?" asked Mrs Voorhees, with a slight frown.

Nekri thought for a moment. "... E-... Eighteen..." he muttered.

Mrs Voorhees sighed. "Great... Another damn _teenager_..." she muttered. "Are there any _adults_ around here?"

Nekri thought for a moment, and then quietly shook his head. "N-no..." he muttered. "The owner of... This place... Passed away. A-and... I was asked to... To take over."

Mrs Voorhees' frown deepened. "So, wait... Are you the only one working here?"

Nekri gave her a small nod. "I-I'm afraid so..." he muttered. "H-however... I am quite a ch-chef... If anyone is hungry..."

The crowd of students immediately erupted into series of loud cheers and demands, ranging from caviar to fried chicken. Nekri nodded politely. "Th-the kitchen is f-freshly stocked... So... If everyone would kindly go down the hallway here to the dining room... I would b-be happy to prepare something for... F-for all of you."

Mrs Voorhees sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Follow me, students. And keep it down. Or else next time I'll hit someone _important_." she growled.

Gideon scowled, as the group of students quietly followed Mrs Voorhees down the hallway.

Amongst the crowd, Mabel seemed to be the only one to notice that the fake Dipper and Pacifica were no longer with them. Without saying anything, she quietly moved through the crowd to bring the study group back together. She quietly grabbed Marius by the sleeve, and pulled Gideon along by the bow-tie. Then they moved toward Candy and Grenda.

Once the five of them were walking in a group again, she could feel herself start to breathe a little easier. But as they moved further down the hallway, that brief feeling of relief began to evaporate. Mabel grit her teeth. She could feel something watching her. And the atmosphere seemed to be growing more and more foreboding.

Finally, she took a deep breath, and turned to face the study group.

"Emergency secret meeting, everyone!" she announced.

A pen whizzed through the air, and embedded itself into Gideon's forehead.

"I said, be _quiet_." growled Mrs Voorhees from the front of the crowd.

Gideon removed the pen, and glared at Marius. "I blame _you_ for that." he muttered.

Marius, as always, looked confused.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

"I say we punch 'em. Punch 'em in their faces. That'll get them to talk. But... Well, I guess it'd be hard for 'em to talk if we brake their faces... Never mind." said Grenda, as she picked up an over-sized turkey leg.

"Wait, Grenda!" exclaimed Candy, as she suddenly knocked the turkey leg out of Grenda's hand. Time slowed to a crawl, and Grenda watched in horror as the turkey leg fell through the air and landed with a soft 'thud' on the floor.

Grenda stared at her felled turkey leg for a moment. Then, she turned to face Candy with tears forming in her eyes. "Why, Candy? _Why_?" she whimpered.

"I know it is sad, Grenda... But we can not trust the food. What if it is filled with hypnosis-juice? Or tranquilizers?" said Candy, as she did her best to console her friend.

"I'm sorry, Grenda... But she's probably right. Why don't you eat your winnings from the Infinitely Epic Card Explosion of Doom tournament instead?" asked Mabel.

Grenda gave heavy sigh, as she pulled her bag off the floor and on to her lap. "...Fine. Here, I'll share some with you guys too. Here, Marius. Gill." she said.

The study group was sitting at one of about a dozen tables, each one of them covered with newly prepared food. The rest of the students, including Mrs Voorhees and the hypnotized Soos, were all happily eating and talking amongst themselves.

It had only taken about ten minutes for the first round of food to arrive, and it was fair to say that the students spirits were currently soaring. They had been shown the way to the bathrooms a short time ago, and some of them had even gotten the chance to take showers. There was even a public bathing area, although no one had been brave enough to try it.

During this time, the study group had been focused on two things. Finding the real Dipper and Pacifica, and figuring out why the impostors were posing as them in the first place.

Candy, Grenda and Mabel continued this discussion for a while, each doing their best to ignore the smell of the food in front of them. Then, they were suddenly interrupted.

"Um... Entschuldigen Sie... But, are you certain that Mister Dipper and Miss Northwest are really... Er... _Shapeshifters_? Perhaps they are acting odd for some _other_ reason..." said Marius.

Mabel set down her packet of chocolate covered pretzels, and sighed. "Well, I did think of that. I've seen Dipper go all loopy 'cuz of a spell or a weird crystal before... But not like _that_. And he can't be _possessed_ by anything either... We, uh... We kinda took measures against that kinda thing a little while ago. I got an awesome 'anti-possession' tattoo-spell. They couldn't do it in pink though..." she explained. "Dipper went a little more drastic. He can be really paranoid about that kinda thing."

Marius blinked. "Are you... Are you saying that you have had dealing with... _Ghosts_?" he asked.

"Aw, I've had 'dealings' with just about everything. From Lepre-corns to giant marshmallow guys. It's all a part of bein' a Mystery Twin." said Mabel.

Marius frowned a little. "I... I had heard some stories about the, er... 'Bill'. And your war with the unicorns..."

"Oh, we resolved that. We just keep our distance from each other." interjected Mabel.

"Er... Yes. But... Ghosts... And, shapeshifters... Are these not simply... _Fantasy_?" asked Marius.

Mabel, Candy, Grenda and Gideon all simply shook their heads.

"Nope."

Marius frowned. "I see... That is... Concerning..." he muttered.

"Don't you remember the Lumberjack Ghost?" asked Candy.

"Yeah! Remember? The jerk that turned us into wood. Back when we first met." said Grenda.

Marius blinked. "Er... Not really. Although I do remember some... Screaming. But I was more focused on... _Other_ things." he muttered, as he did his best to avoid making eye contact with Grenda.

Mabel cleared her throat. "Alright, guys. How about this- We wait until everyone goes to bed, and then we can start investigating this place. I brought Dipper's bag with me, so we've got plenty of magnifying glasses and stuff."

"Why... Why do we need to investigate this place?" asked Marius.

"Well, 'cuz the shapeshifters are obviously connected to this place somehow. They wouldn't take us here if they weren't." explained Mabel.

Marius frowned again. "I see... And you are sure that your suspicions are not... Unfounded?" he asked.

Mabel nodded. "I'm sure."

Marius thought for a moment. Then, he shifted his gaze toward Mabel.

"...Okay. I trust you, Miss Mabel. And I shall help in any way I can. I promise you." said Marius.

Mabel smiled. "Thank you, Marius." she said.

With the plan to investigate once everyone else had gone to bed now set in stone, Mabel, Candy and Grenda moved on to other subjects, while Gideon sat there silently poking at his food and Marius began to reevaluate his entire world view.

Time passed by pretty quickly. And soon, everyone else was beginning to yawn and rub their eyes. Some of the students even began to fall asleep face-first into their plates.

Marius blinked, and glanced at Candy.

It looked like she had been right about the food.

Suddenly, Nekri appeared in the middle of the room.

"I-It is getting very late... So i-if you will all follow me... I w-will guide you to your r-rooms..." he said.

As the study group left their table, Mabel cleared her throat. "We'll meet here in an hour. Be prepared." she whispered. Everyone except for Gideon gave her an obedient nod, as they followed Nekri and the other students down another long dark corridor.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

 _Back in Piedmont, Mabel Pines had an eclectic group of friends._

 _There was Sabrina, who had fostered a life-long affection for witchcraft. There was Alicia, a foreign exchange student whose hobbies consisted of napping, napping and more napping. And there was also Jen, a cheerleader and straight A student who seemed to be the best at everything she did._

 _And then, there was Lillith. She was the quietest one of the group. Perpetually shy, she could always be found reading a book and keeping to herself- even when they visited the mall together. Lillith could easily be described as 'Goth', although she tended to stare disapprovingly at anyone who actually called her that._

 _She had pale white skin, and long black hair. Her face was sprinkled with piercings, and her eyes where an interesting shade of amber. They seemed to sparkle whenever she was near something that she liked- like a haunted house or a collection of Gothic poetry- and they would grow dull whenever she would go near something she didn't like. Jen's cheerleader uniform for instance. Or anything pink._

 _It was during their first slumber party at Mabels house, that Mabel noticed something about Lillith. Whenever she looked at Dipper, her eyes would sparkle._

 _A secret committee was soon founded between Mabel, Sabrina, Alicia and Jen. With the sole purpose of finding a way to set up Mabel's nerdy brother with their quiet best friend. They used all manner of tactics. Each one of them designed to give Dipper and Lillith some time together, all by themselves._

 _Things were working well. It helped that Dipper was constantly finding himself thrust into life threatening adventures. There was nothing like an adventure or two to help bring people together._

 _After about a year, things finally reached a head when Dipper told Mabel that he was going to meet Lillith in a special place just outside of town- and ask her to be his girlfriend._

 _Mabel had never been happier for her brother. He hadn't made any friends since their time in Gravity Falls. And he seemed to be getting more and more reserved, and shy. For him to muster up the courage to ask out Lillith was quite literally the biggest deal in the entire world. So, naturally- Mabel told everyone she could about the happy news._

 _Everyone had been overjoyed. Dipper and Mabel's parents, all of Mabel's friends, and especially Mabel. It was just so perfect._

 _Then, the big night was dressed in his best clothes (that is to say, the only clothes he had that hadn't been burned, torn, or splattered with any variety of unknown chemicals and fluids). He was holding a bouquet of roses, and a leather bound book with a big black bow on it. Mabel watched him practice his little speech in front of a mirror for the better part of an hour before he finally packed everything he had into a backpack, and set out for the outskirts of town on a bicycle._

 _Following him had been difficult. Luckily, Dipper had been mostly distracted by the crippling anxiety and fear that seemed to have taken full control over his body. It took everything he had not to let himself run away._

 _Talking about his feelings was, apparently, much scarier than any demon or monster could ever hope to be._

 _When Dipper finally came to a stop, Mabel followed, doing her best to hide behind trees and bushes as Dipper made his way toward the clearing. Lillith was already there, waiting for him._

 _Mabel did feel bad about spying on them. But she knew that if she wanted the juicy details, she wasn't going to get them by asking afterwards. They would both probably just blush and clamp their mouths shut. As a gesture of good faith, however, Mabel did decide not to bring a camera. That was her gift to them. Even though it would no doubt be the king of 'Scrap-Book-A-Tunities'._

 _From he position behind a tree, Mabel could just barely make out what they were saying to each other._

 _First, was a series of awkward greetings. Followed by an even more awkward period of small talk. For Mabel, it was both entertaining and eternally frustrating. Just as she was beginning to seriously consider just pushing them into each others arms, Dipper finally spoke up._

 _"Uh- s-so... I, uh- I mean..." he muttered, before letting out an exasperated sigh. "I'm... I'm just going to be honest. Is that okay?" he asked._

 _Lillith gave him a small smile, followed by a smile._

 _"Okay. So... We've known each other for a while now. And I know... i know it's weird... I mean- I'm you're best friends weird brother... And, uh... I don't exactly have the best reputation around town..." he muttered. There was an wakward pause, before he quickly shook his head._

 _"Sorry..." he muttered, as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "What I-... What I mean is... There aren't a lot of people out there that I really feel comfortable around. I kinda... Have trust issues. Outside of my family, it's really hard for me to trust anyone. Whenever I do... And they see the kind of things I do... Well, they usually call me crazy. Or... Or dangerous. Even the people who've really seen what's out there... They refuse to believe it. And somehow... They always blame me. Like I'm the one who made the world so crazy..." he muttered._

 _"But you... You're different. You always have been. Like... That time, with Mabel's friends... You were the only one who stuck up for me. You... You've always been... The only one who ever believed in me. Except for Mabel, of course." he said, with a small smile._

 _Lillith blushed a little, and nodded._

 _"Do you... Do you remember what you told me, during the 'Pheonix Incident'?" he asked._

 _Lillith broke eye contact for a moment, and nodded again. "I told you... That you... Are a hero. That it doesn't matter what other people think... Or what they say... Your actions... Your passion, for helping others... Even if everyone else thinks of you... As some kind of villain. Or... A creepy kid... You'll always be a hero... At least... To me..." she whispered._

 _They both blushed, and stood there in an awkward silence. Finally, Dipper cleared his throat._

 _"That... That meant a lot to me..." he muttered. "And... And I just wanted to tell you, that... That you're... Amazing. You're brave... And smart... And whenever me, Mabel, or any of your friends are in trouble... You're always there for us. Even when it means going way out of your comfort zone. Or even risking your life. So... So if I'm a hero... Then so are you."_

 _Dipper cleared his throat, and took a deep breath. There was a moment of silence, as Dipper did his best to pull himself together. His heart was beating loudly against his chest, and his palms were drenched with sweat._

 _This was it._

 _The moment Mabel had been waiting for._

 _"Lillith... Do you think... That- uh... I mean... A-and, it's okay if you... If you don't-... But... Would you go out with me?" he asked._

 _Lillith stepped closer to him. And in a flash of movement, she wrapped her arms around him._

 _She whispered something into his ear._

 _And then-_

 _Dipper made a sound. Like all of the air had suddenly been knocked out of him._

 _Everything went quiet. And suddenly, Dipper slumped over. Landing on the ground in a heap. Blood began to pool all around him very quickly, as Lillith held his still beating heart in the air._

 _She stared at it for a moment. Then, she slowly began to draw it toward her mouth._

 _Mabel had never moved so fast in her entire life. During all of her time chasing and being chased by all sorts of monsters and creatures of the night, she had never felt a surge of adrenilin quite like the one she felt in that moment._

 _Mabel closed the distance between her and Lillith in an instant. And then, with every ounce of power she had, Mabel swung her fist- and connected a punched directly into Lillith's face. The sound of the impact echoed into the distance._

 _Everything else was a blur, as Lillith ran off and Mabel found herself standing over the bloody form of her brother._

 _Mabel screamed until her voice gave out. Her sobbing was rasped and gutteral. She quivered with both despair and rage, as she softly cradled her brothers face. Her tears quietly slid down her face and dripped on to his. Joining the mess of blood and dirt that was caked all over his face._

 _Her throat was on fire, and her right hand-still clenched into a fist- was red and bruised._

 _The world around her seemed to fade away, as she stared down into her brothers lifeless eyes._

 _She wanted to hold him closer. Tighter. To keep him there. With her._

 _She screamed his name, despite her throats belligerent protests._

 _Then- she felt something. A pair of large, warm arms- wrapping themselves around her. It didn't take her very long to recognise the scent of cheap cologne and seawater._

 _"...G-... Grunkle Stan?" she whimpered._

 _"I'm here, kid." he muttered._

 _Grunkle Ford stood beside them for a moment. He was holding an old rucksack, with the words 'TOP SECRET' printed all over it in big black letters. He opened it, and pulled out a small corked bottle of golden liquid. He pulled off the cork with his teeth, and carefully poured its contents into Dippers chest._

 _He was muttering to himself as he continued to rifle through the rucksack. Most of it was in latin, but every now and again Mabel would catch a word she could recognize. Almost all of them were curse words._

 _Finally, he retrieved a small packet of bright red powder. He opened it, and sprinkled it on top of the golden liquid sitting in Dippers chest cavity. All of a sudden, the liquid began to bubble and move. Until finally, it took the shape of a heart. It took a few seconds for it to lose it's golden hue- but before long, the organ that had been ripped out of him had suddenly been replaced._

 _Dipper had a heart again._

 _Ford snapped on a pair of rubber gloves, and grunted as he carefully massaged the heart._

 _"Stan? Do me a favour and call an ambulance." he muttered._

 _Stan nodded, and reluctantly broke the embrace with his trembling grand-niece in order to place the call._

 _Ford grit his teeth. Slowly but surely, the heart began to move on its own._

 _"... Mabel... I-... I was warned... By... By an oracle... Only hours ago... I'm... I'm sorry we didn't arrive sooner... There wasn't... There was no time..." said Ford, as beads of sweat began to drip down from his forehead._

 _"Are... Are you going... To save him?" Mabel rasped, as she looked up at her Grunkle's face. His eye's had dark circles around them, and his face was even more pale than usual. Still, Ford gave her a smile._

 _"Of course. He's going to be okay, Mabel. I promise." he said._

 _What followed was a complete blur, as Dipper was carted away by an ambulance. All of a sudden, she found herself in a cold hospital waiting room. Sitting next to her parents, and her Grunkle's._

 _The doctors came back with good news. And the very next day, Mabel was able to see Dipper with his eyes open once more. He looked fragile. More vulnerable than she had ever seen him._

 _But, he was alive._

 _Mabel apologized well over a thousand times. Insisting that it was all her fault._

 _But Dipper wouldn't hear of it._

 _"It's not your fault..." he would say, in a quiet voice- doing his very best to sound stern. "None of this is your fault."_

 _Of course, she couldn't believe that. After all, Lillith had been her friend. Her best friend. And Mabel had been the one to introduce them to each other. She had encouraged Dipper to act on his feelings. To invite Lillith on that date..._

 _Why?_

 _Why did it end this way?_

 _Lillith had always been the quiet type. Shy. Almost to a fault. But kind, and generous. And it had been obvious, especially to Mabel, just how deeply Lillith had fallen for her brother._

 _It was supposed to be perfect._

Mabel's eyes suddenly shot open. And all of a sudden, she was standing in the middle of the hallway. In front of the dining room. Where the study group had decided to meet.

Mabel frowned a little, and rubbed her eyes. She had fallen asleep while leaning against the wall.

"Maybe an hour was a little too long to wait before we all meet up..." she muttered. The image of Dipper's weak form lying on a hospital bed suddenly flashed before her eyes.

Mabel scowled. "Stupid memories... Tryin' to make me sad... I've got other things to worry about, y'know?" she muttered.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, and took a deep breath.

A lot had changed since 'the Lillith Incident'.

First, Lillith disappeared. And then rumors began to spread around town that Dipper was responsible. Some people even seemed to think that _he_ had attacked _her_ , and he had only been hospitalized when she tried to defend herself. The rumors were so wide spread and pernicious, that they even reached the people that Mabel had _thought_ were her friends.

And they believed it.

Grunkle Ford had told her that there was something deeper going on. That the people of Piedmont were being manipulated by something. Mabel didn't know if he was telling the truth, or just trying to make her feel better.

It wasn't the first time that people had turned against her brother. But this was the first time that it felt so... Personal.

When Dipper was finally released from the hospital, he had been quick to dive into a mountain of old books and internet research. He did his best to pretend that nothing had changed, but it was easy to see how much further withdrawn he had become.

Normally, whenever her brother had his heart broken, she would immediately start trying to set him up with someone new. But this time, it was different.

She still felt like her playing love god had been largely responsible for what happened that day.

Over a year had passed since then. And Mabel still believed that the power of love would be what finally healed him. She was sure that he was ready. And this time, she would keep a careful eye on any girl that got anywhere close to him.

Even if it was someone that, deep down, she trusted.

 _Especially_ if it was someone she trusted.

"Miss Mabel?"

Mabel almost jumped out of her skin, as Marius stepped out from the shadows of the hallway. "Gah! You scared the heck outta me!" she exclaimed.

Marius blinked. "Oh... I apologize, Miss Mabel." he said.

"Well... It's fine. Just don't do that again. Emerging from the shadows is only for monsters and vampires. That's a rule." said Mabel.

Marius gave her a short nod.

Suddenly, it was quiet. _Too_ quiet.

Mabel sighed.

Marius had his long brown hair tied into a ponytail, and he was wearing a bright red sweater with the words 'Welt beste Enkelkind' stitched across the chest in big black letters. His slender features were bordering on feminine, but his shoulders seemed a little broader than expected. His large, soulful eyes seemed distracted. They were also a beautiful shade of blue.

"...I was surprised." muttered Marius.

Mabel blinked. "By what?" she asked.

"... That you were... Er... 'Scared the heck out of'. I had thought you fearless." said Marius.

Mabel pursed her lips. "... I'm not fearless. I'm scared of lot's of stuff." she said.

"But not monsters, or ghosts?" asked Marius.

Mabel shrugged. "It depends mostly on what it is. Most of them aren't even all that bad once you get to know them." she said.

Marius rubbed his chin. "Is that so..." he muttered.

"Yeah... Although..." Mabel's hands suddenly tightened into fists as she spoke. "There are _some_ monsters..." she muttered.

There was another beat of silence, as Mabel grimaced at her memories.

"...Miss Mabel. I know you are worried... But Dipper _will_ be okay." said Marius.

Mabel smiled a little. "...Yeah..." she muttered.

"Oh-ho... Look's like yall're just havin' a _ball_ of a time here on your own..."growled a voice from the shadows. Slowly, Gideon emerged from the darkness, glaring at Marius with all the fury of a thousand sun's.

Suddenly, Candy appeared beside him. "You are such a mood killer." she muttered, as she nudged him aside.

"Hey, guys!" called out Grenda, as she popped out of the shadows between Gideon and Candy. "Sorry I took so long. It took me _forever_ to find my baseball bat." she said, as she slung the aluminum bat on her shoulder.

"You packed a _baseball_ bat?" muttered Gideon.

Grenda nodded. "Yep. This time if there're any plant monsters, zombies or mutant pinata's- then I'll be _more_ than prepared."

Gideon rolled his eyes, and Mabel grinned.

"Alright! Everyone's here." she announced. "It's time for the Official Super Laser-Puppy Study Group of Glitter, Sparkles and History to begin our first ever full-fledged investigation! Is everyone ready?" she asked.

"Yeah!" yelled Grenda and Candy.

"Then let's do it!" announced Mabel.

Gideon sighed. "I guess we ain't gunna be doin' this _quietly_ , huh?" he muttered.

Together, the study group made their way down the hallway. Confident that they were ready to face anything that got in their way.

But nothing could have prepared them for what they would find in the Dunwich Inn. Or, more accurately... _Underneath_.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

The man playing the piano in the abyss paused for a moment.

"...What do you want?" he muttered, without bothering to face the figure standing behind him.

Not-Wendy scowled.

"Where is he!?" she hissed.

"Dipper Pines is no longer your concern." said the man at the piano.

"The hell he isn't! Tell me where you put him right _now_!" bellowed Not-Wendy.

The man at the piano sighed. "Dipper Pines is no longer the one in the greatest danger. The other sibling is." he said.

Not-Wendy frowned. "You mean, Mabel?"

The man at the piano nodded.

"... Are you going to let me actually _do_ something this time? Or will I only be there to give more vague, general directions?"

The man at the piano thought for a moment. "...For what they are facing, I believe your physical presence will be required." he said.

Not-Wendy frowned. "That's _impossible_. You _know_ I can't transform my physical being. I would have to be there in my _true_ form."

"That is none of my concern." said the man at the piano.

Not-Wendy grit her teeth.

"... _Fine_." she spat, as she turned to leave.

"Oh, and Lillith?"

Not-Wendy froze. "...What?"

"Expect a family reunion."

Lillith blinked for a moment. Then, she grimaced. " _Oh_. And here I thought it couldn't get any worse."

* * *

 _To be continued..._

* * *

( **AN** : Okay. So... I'm expecting this chapter to be kind of controversial. I've been planning to do an arc that focuses more on Mabel and her friends for a while now, and I was kind of setting up for that at the start of the last chapter. But, still... An entire chapter, and possibly another, without any real interaction between Dipper and Pacifica? I'm kinda asking for it, aren't I?

All I can say to my defend myself- is that once the Mabel Gangs adventure is over, there will be a very meaty arc about Dipper and Pacifica, and where they are at the moment. But right now, it's time for Mabel, Candy, Grenda, Marius and Gideon to have an arc of their own.

But- If you guys feel *really* strongly about it, I can try and juggle the Mabel Gang story along with the Dipper and Pacifica story. But I just can't see how I could do that without hurting both.

Either way, I worked really hard on this chapter, and I really hope at least one person likes it.)


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: Dunwich Inn, Part Two

The walls quietly rumbled, as the Mabel Gang slowly made their way through the dark hallways of the Dunwich Inn. At the front of the group, stood Mabel. Holding a flashlight, and wearing her best 'super sleuth' face. Grenda was standing next to her, brandishing her baseball bat whenever she got the chance. Marius was standing behind the two of them, doing his best to keep calm in the deeply foreboding atmosphere.

Behind Marius, was Candy and Gideon. Candy was holding a lantern that she had taken off one of the walls, and Gideon was, as always, muttering angrily to himself.

Time seemed crawl by, as the group made their way through the darkness. Some areas were lit with the dull glow of a lantern, while others were pitch black. Every hallway seemed to share the same faded grey wall paper, and the same faded red carpet.

As far as Gideon could tell, the Inn was old. For one thing, they had been going from hallway to hallway for a while now, and they were still yet to find a single light switch, or light bulb. It appeared as if the entire Inn ran without electricity. However, despite the signs of age in the walls and the floor, there didn't seem to be a single speck of dust anywhere. There were no spider webs, and no trace of dirt of any kind.

Gideon couldn't quite tell if the lack of dust and dirt made the place feel _more_ off-putting, or _less_. But it was definitely noticable.

"And _that's_ how I brought democracy to the undersea kingdom of Atlantis." said Mabel.

Grenda rubbed her chin and nodded, thoughtfully. "Huh... And what's Mermando doing now?"

"I, uh... I think he's working at a bank? We couldn't really keep in touch afterwards. It turns out there's not a lot of wifi underwater. Or phones... But I do like to keep an eye out for any message-bottles. Just in case." said Mabel.

From beside Gideon, Candy quietly cleared her throat. "That Princess of the Manatee's sounded incredible." she said.

Mabel nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yeah! She's awesome. We made plans to have brunch once she's finished her fifty years of hibernation."

The conversation continued in this manner for a while. With Mabel regaling Candy and Grenda with stories about the many adventures she had after that summer in Gravity Falls. Gideon was only paying half attention. The rest of his attention was focused on the big puffy wig he had super-glued to his scalp. It was an integral part of his 'Gill' disguise, and it was starting to get... Frumpy.

While Gideon kept running his wooden hands through his fake air and muttering to himself, Marius remained completely silent.

Every now and again, he would grit his teeth a little or frown. Sometimes both. There was something about the atmosphere of the hallways that felt oddly familiar. And for the life of him, he couldn't seem to figure out _what_.

A few more minutes passed, and just as Gideon was about wonder out loud if they had been merely travelling in circles, the floor began to rumble.

All of a sudden, Mabel heard a voice call out to her.

'GET BACK!'

Mabel didn't hesitate. She quickly grabbed Grenda by the arm, and stepped backwards, just as the floor underneath her feet seemed to split open. She and Grenda crashed into Marius, leaving them all in a heap as the split began to widen, revealing a set of long silver fangs.

"...There's a mouth in the floor..." muttered Candy. "That is a new one for me."

Gideon huffed. "You just ain't been lookin' hard enough." he muttered.

Candy was quick to help Grenda, Mabel and Marius back to their feet, as the enormous mouth seemed to widen even further. It was already several feet long, and by now, it had grown as wide as the hallway. There were several more rows of long silver fangs beyond the first row. Inside the mouth was a deep abyss. As if it were a hole that went on forever- but with teeth.

The walls began to shake, the mouth seemed to screech. It sounded like a cross between a rusty chainsaw, and a clap of thunder.

Long purple tentacles suddenly rose up out of the mouth, and began to writhe in the air. Each tentacle was smooth, and coated in a dull grey slime. Each tentacle ended with a sort of flap, with one side smooth, and the other covered in a series of black octopus suckers.

The tentacles quickly reached the ceiling, as they began to writhe against each other in one slimy mass.

Mabel took a deep breath.

"Everybody! RUN!" she bellowed.

The group quickly turned an ran in the opposite direction. The tentacles were quick to give chase, as they stretched and squirmed through the air. Marius looked back just in time to see one of the tentacles brush past Gideon, and lunge at Mabel.

He moved without thinking. As he pushed her out of the way, he felt the tentacle wrap itself against his wrist, and pull him back. Within seconds, the tentacle had suddenly wrapped itself around his entire body. As it pulled him back towards the mouth, he could feel the grip of the silmy tentacle begin to tighten.

He could feel his bones and joints start to whine, as the tentacle began to squeeze the life out him. He grit his teeth, as the pain came at him at every direction. He was about to scream, when the tentacle suddenly wrapped itself around his throat and his mouth.

He let out a muffled scream, as the tentacle drew him closer and closer to the mouth in the floor.

His lungs were already screaming for oxygen, as his vision began to blur.

As Marius was being pulled away, Grenda immediately stopped in her tracks. "Hey! You leave him alone!" she bellowed, as she swung her bat at the tentacles. There was a loud 'thunk', as she successfully batted away the tentacles that had been stupid enough to approach her.

Mabel, meanwhile, quickly pulled out something she tucked in her skirt.

Her grappling hook.

"Grenda! Cover me!" yelled Mabel.

Grenda nodded. "Sure thing!" she yelled.

As Mabel ran towards Marius, Grenda kept batting away the tentacles. Finally, Mabel stopped and aimed the grappling hook as best she could. She held her breath, and fired. The hook shot through the air, carrying rope along with it. The hook quickly wrapped both itself and the rope around the base of the tentacle that had captured Marius.

Mabel grit her teeth, and pulled.

The rope tightened it's grip around the tentacle she dug her heels into the carpet. As Grenda continued to bat away the tentacles that had been lunging for her and Mabel, one of them managed to wrap itself around her baseball bat. The tentacle quickly flung her into a wall, but Grenda didn't lose her grip.

"THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO!?" she bellowed. Another tentacle wrapped itself around her free hand. Grenda pulled the baseball bat toward her mouth, and bit an enormous chunk out of it. The tentacle recoiled instantly, freeing her bat. The tentacle holding her wrist began to pull against her, dragging her against the floor.

Grenda spun herself around, and began hitting the tentacle with her bat in a vain effort to get it to let go.

As Mabel continued to pull the grappling hook, another tentacle suddenly wrapped itself around her waist and lifted her up off the floor.

Three more tentacles rushed to wrap themselves around Grenda's remaining limbs. As she struggled against them, all three of them were suddenly slammed into the ceiling, as they slowly began to descend into the mouth in the floor.

Grenda and Mabel screamed, as Marius felt himself begin to lose consciousness.

Then, all of a sudden the tentacles collapsed. The base of the tentacles, just at the entrance of the mouth in the floor, had been severed. Mabel, Grenda and Marius fell to the floor, as the tentacles shriveled into ash.

Marius coughed and sputtered, as he gasped desperately for air. As Mabel and Grenda slowly collected themselves and moved to help Marius get to his feet, they noticed someone standing in front of them.

For a moment, all the could see was the figures long black cloak. Then, the figure turned to face them.

It was a woman. Clad in a long, flowing black cloak, open in the middle to reveal what looked like a set of black body armor, covered in various symbols and letters. Each symbol and letter was either gold, silver or bronze. She had long black hair, that appeared to run across the entire length of her back. Her face was paper white, and flawless. Like a piece of sculpted porcelain.

There was a long piece of fabric wrapped around her eyes, and tied up at the back of her head. The fabric was black, with a pair of white circles resting directly over her eyes.

Mabel grit her teeth.

The woman was holding a long, golden katana. Each side of the blade was decorated with a long red pattern that ran from one end to the other. It looked like a serpant. Or an eastern dragon.

The woman quietly sheathed the sword, as she began to rummage around in the pockets of her cloak. Finally, pulled out a small round glass bottle with a cork in it. It was filled with a bright red liquid, that seemed to swirl around inside the bottle by it's own accord. The mouth in the floor let out another high pitched whine, as the woman took a few steps towards it, and then simply threw the bottle inside.

There was a small 'pop'. And red smoke quickly rose upward from inside the mouth.

This time, the mouth seemed to groan, as the hallway began to shake.

Slowly but surely, the mouth eventually closed, and disappeared. As if it had never been there in the first place.

The woman stood there for a moment. Completely silent.

Mabel could feel her hands tighten into fists.

"... _Lillith_..." she spat.

Grenda's eyes widened a little, as Mabel began to tremble with rage.

"What... _Why_..." sputtered Mabel. Her voice was trembling as well.

"...You recognize me." whispered Lillith.

Mabel suddenly pulled the baseball bat out of Grenda's hands. "Of _course_ I do." she growled, as she held it in front of her.

"...I... I see..." muttered Lillith.

Mabel was gripping the bat tight enough that her hands were already beginning to go numb.

"Miss Mabel!"

Both Mabel and Grenda nearly jumped at the sound of Marius' voice.

"What?" muttered Mabel.

"Miss Candy, and Mister Gill- they are gone!"

Mabel flinched, and quickly spun around.

Sure enough, there was no sign of either Candy, or Gideon.

Mabel felt her grip on the bat begin to loosen. "...Oh no..." she muttered. She could feel her knees start to weaken, as a thousand worst case scenario's suddenly flashed across her eyes. Then, she took a deep breath, and shook it off.

"C'mon, Grenda! They can't be far!" said Mabel, as she gave Grenda her baseball bat.

Grenda glanced at Mabel, then at the bat, and then at Lillith.

"...Okay. Come on, Marius! You can spend time bein' traumatized by tentacles and stuff later!" exclaimed Grenda.

Marius shuddered. "...I am fine." he muttered, as he did his best to wipe the tentacle slime off of his he had taken care of at least most of the slime, Marius turned to face Lillith with his hands politely tucked behind back.

"Vielen Dank, Miss. I promise, that I shall one day find a way to repay you for this debt I owe you... For saving meine life." he said, as he gave her a gentle bow.

Lillith stiffened. "...Don't worry about it..." she muttered.

Marius gave her a short bow, and turned to find that Mabel and Grenda were already running off in the opposite direction. Marius gave a short sigh, before running off to join them in the search for Gideon and Candy.

Lillith stayed still for a moment, as she seemed to stare off into the distance. "...There's more evil here than I thought... Mother has been busy..." she muttered.

Lillith felt a cold chill run down her spine. With a firm grip on her katana, she quietly followed Mabel, Grenda and Marius down the hall.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

The sound of carnival music filled the air, as the smell of corn-dogs and fairy-floss wafted through the breeze.

Candy's eyes suddenly fluttered open, and she was immediately greeted by a view of a peaceful night sky. She frowned a little. With a small sigh, she sat up and carefully pushed her glasses up to her forehead to rub her eyes. She had been lying in the dirt. For how long, she wasn't sure. Everything felt sort of... Fuzzy.

She slowly slid her glasses back to their rightful place on the bridge of her nose, and yawned.

"...Where am I...?" she muttered, as she looked around.

She was sitting in the middle of what looked like an enormous carnival. There were lines of booths, some stacked with food and others touting carnival games. Beside her, there was what looked like a bumper car area, and in the distance she could make out what looked like an enormous ferris wheel, an enormous steel beam with the words 'Atomic Drop' printed on it, a roller-coaster, and more.

Candy blinked. The carnival music continued to blare through a line of enormous speakers, that were each attached to the top of a line of long metal poles. Candy frowned a little, as she stood herself up and dusted herself off.

The sound of children's laughter continued to echo throughout the place. But as far as she could see, there was no sign of anyone but her.

Her long pink hair began to flutter in the breeze, as she stood there in silence.

A few more minutes passed, before she finally spoke up again.

"I am... alone." she muttered.

Candy frowned. The last thing she could remember was running away from a mouth that had opened up in the floor and started sprouting tentacles. Then all of a sudden, she had woken up in the middle of an abandoned carnival.

This wasn't the first time something like this had happened to her. There had been an incident back in Gravity Falls, when she and Grenda had stumbled upon an abandoned supply of Smile Dip. It had been a few decades out of date- and if she had known that at the time, maybe she wouldn't have eaten so much of it.

She couldn't remember anything about what happened after that. She just woke up a day later, dressed in laser tag gear and covered in rainbow colored vomit. Grenda was dressed in a grey jumpsuit with a small patch on it that read 'Property of Blendin Blandin'. She was also covered in rainbow colored vomit. And, they were both lying on top of the roof of the Mystery Shack.

That whole incident had been disorientating. But, at least she had woken up next to her best friend, in a familiar place.

This, was different. Here, she was alone. In the middle of a carnival, that seemed to be bursting with toys, balloons and carnival games that all seemed to revolve around a similar theme.

Clowns.

There were clown head balloons attached to every stall, every game booth was packed with various plushie clowns of all shapes and sizes, along with clown masks, clown hand-bags and even a line of clown skateboards. All of them seemed to depict the same clown. One with a painted white face, black circles around the eyes, and curvy black lines for eyebrows. A bald head, surrounded by wild tufts of long red hair, and a big red nose.

It looked like an old-timey circus clown. Complete with a large frilly collar.

Candy grit her teeth. On her list of things she hated more than anything in the world, clowns were up at the very top. Right below cookies with raisins in them. Candy shuddered, and shook her head. "No... Now is not the time to be thinking about _raisins_..." she muttered, her voice brimming with disdain.

As she stood there thinking and muttering to herself, she heard the sound of footsteps slowly closing in behind her.

She froze.

"...What're ya'll mutterin' about _raisins_ for, all of a sudden? You finally lost yer marbles?"

Candy sighed. She recognized the owner of the voice in an instant. His voice was, after all, nothing if not 'distinct'. Candy turned around to find Gideon standing there, looking mildly annoyed. His school uniform was, as always, perfectly clean and crisp. And his hair was perfectly styled.

However, there was something... Different.

His uniform didn't seem as baggy as it used too. His eyes seemed to have some life behind them. And, perhaps the most obvious change, his face no longer looked as if it were made of wood. Instead, he looked like his old self again. Pale white skin, lightly freckled... Perhaps a little less pudgy than she remembered- but it was definitely him.

Candy stared at him for a few seconds, and blinked. "You... You are human again..." she muttered.

Gideon rolled his eyes.. "Yeah, I _noticed_." he muttered, as he brushed past her. "Now, if ya'll 're ready to get yer head outta the clouds, we oughtta be tryin' to find our way back to Mabel."

Gideon had already begun to make his way down the long dirt path, when Candy finally spoke up.

"Wait. Where are you going?" she asked. "You do not know your way around this place any better than I do."

Without bothering to turn and face her, Gideon let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm headed for the ferris wheel. I figure that'd be the best way to find the exit... Unless ya'll 've got any _better_ ideas..." he muttered.

Candy thought for a moment, and then adjusted her glasses. "No... That is actually a good idea." she said.

Gideon huffed. "'Course it's a good idea... _I_ thought of it..." he muttered.

With that, Gideon continued on his way down the long dirt path. Stopping only to glance longingly at some of the food stalls along the way. Every time, he would stop, stare, drool a little, and then shake his head before walking away. Each time he did it, he seemed to get grouchier and grouchier.

Candy smiled a little. It was actually a little amusing.

'I wonder if he is another one of those shapeshifters...' she thought. 'But, if he were... Then the shapeshifter would not have taken his human form... It would have taken his puppet form. After all... That has been what he looks like for some time now...'

Candy frowned a little. 'Then... What is it? Is he an illusion? A hologram. maybe? Ooh- Maybe he is a robot!' she thought. With a sparkle of excitement in her eyes, Candy swiftly removed one of her hair clips, and a fiendish smile suddenly graced her lips.

"Perhaps a little _test_ is in order..." she muttered, as she made her way toward Gideon. Holding the hair clip in her hand, she approached him as quietly as possible. Once she was by his side, she did her best to appear casual. Unfortunately, she had never been the worlds greatest actress.

She whistled, darted her eyes back and forth, and kept her hands behind her back as she did her best to appear 'casual'. Luckily, Gideon seemed to be ignoring her.

Finally, just when she thought he least expected it- she jabbed him in the ribs with her hair clip.

"Kyaaah!" Gideon shrieked, as he leapt into the air like a cartoon character.

Candy blinked. "Huh. I guess you are not a hologram or illusion. Or a robot." she muttered, as Gideon gently rubbed the sore spot on his side.

"O' course I ain't no dang _robot_!" yelled Gideon. "I was right, ya'll really _have_ lost yer marbles!"

Candy quietly stroked her chin in thought. "Then again... It could still be a dream... And you are just acting the way I that _think_ you would..." she muttered, as she twirled the hair clip in her fingers.

"Put that thing away already! I got enough problems without havin' to deal with some crazy girl _pokin_ ' me all day!" yelled Gideon.

Candy seemed lost in thought for a moment. Finally, she returned her hair clip back to its rightful place in her hair, and sighed. "It would have been a lot more fun if you were a robot..." she muttered.

"Well I ain't! Alright!? I'm Gideon Gleefu- I mean! Uh, Gill! I am Gill! That's who I am!" exclaimed Gideon.

Candy sighed. "I already know who you are, Gideon." she muttered.

Gideon froze. "... Ex-... Excuse me?"

"I said, I already know that you are Gideon Gleeful. I always knew." said Candy. "I am not an idiot. And neither is Mabel. Or Grenda. Although... I do not think she ever cared enough to figure it out..."

Gideon blinked. Then, he blinked some more.

"Wha- But... I was in a _perfect_ disguise!" he exclaimed.

"You dressed up as you, but with glasses and a fake nose! You even wore a wig that looked like your old hair! And you did not even try to disguise your voice..." explained Candy. "The only person you could have fooled was Marius, and that is just because he has never met you before."

Gideon twitched, and grit his teeth. "You gotta be _kiddin_ ' me..." he muttered.

Candy shook her head. "I am not. I was only playing along because Mabel was." she said.

Gideon frowned. "You sure that Dipper didn't just _tell_ you?"

Candy paused. And for just a brief moment, Gideon noticed something flicker in her eyes. "...No. Dipper and I... We do not really talk anymore. He is... A lot quieter now." she muttered.

Gideon rolled his eyes. "He's the same annoying nerd he always was." he said.

Candy quietly shook her head. "... Maybe for you. And Mabel. And... Pacifica. But for everyone else... He has become... Different."

Gideon huffed. "Look- Literally the _last_ thing I ever wanna talk about with _anybody_ is Dipper Pines. Can you try talkin' about somethin' else? Or better yet- nothin' at all?"

Candy thought for a moment. "Okay... What did you do to get yourself turned into a puppet?" she asked.

Gideon shrugged. "I almost killed you, and all your friends." he said.

Candy nodded. "That sounds about right... And Dipper stopped you?"

Gideon shook his head. "No... Not really. I was, uh-..." Gideon grit his teeth. All of a sudden, he felt a cold lump start to form in his throat.

Candy shot him a curious look. "Were you about to say... That you were 'betrayed'?" she asked.

Gideon's expression suddenly hardened. "No." he muttered. "And look- We made it to the ferris wheel. You wait here- I can do this myself."

Candy simply shook her head in response.

Gideon gave a weary sigh. "Look. The only girl I'll ever share are a ferris wheel ride with is Mabel. And maybe my Mom. If she ever gets over her fear of heights... And... Well... _Me_." he said. "So just stay here and, I dunno- Play with the clown balloons or somethin'. Do whatever ya want."

Candy thought for a moment. "... I would rather ride in a ferris wheel with Mabel as well. And also Grenda. And maybe a few boybands. And some puppies that can shoot lasers out of their eyes. But unfortunately, all that is here is you, and a bunch of creepy things with clown faces on them. And I really do not want to hang out with the clown faces."

Gideon ran his hand through his hair, and sighed again. "...Fine. Whatever. I don't care." he muttered. "Just don't go regretin' it later..."

As Gideon and Candy walked up the ramp toward the ferris wheel, Candy couldn't help but take a moment to marvel at how big it was. It was easily the tallest ferris wheel that she had ever seen- and she had once read a whole issue of Ferris Wheel Aficionado Magazine. Its entire frame was painted white, and decorated with thousands of tiny colored lights. The colored lights ran the spectrum of every color in the rainbow, and they all seemed to twinkle in the cool breeze as the ferris wheel stood there, motionless.

Candy managed to move her eyes away from the pretty lights above just as Gideon made his way into the passenger car of the ferris wheel. She quickly made her way up the ramp, and took the seat across from Gideon in the passenger car. As she closed the door behind her, Gideon suddenly frowned.

"Hey- Wait. If we're both in here, how's the ferris wheel supposed to start movin'?" asked Gideon.

On cue, the ferris wheel immediately began to move. Slowly carrying them both higher and higher into the sky.

Candy shrugged. "I do not know. Magic?"

Gideon gave a snort. "Magic? Yer suggestion is _magic_?"

Candy frowned a little. "Weren't you a 'puppet-boy' less than an _hour_ ago?"

"I don't see what that has to do with anything." said Gideon, as he calmly blew on his nails.

As the ferris wheel slowly carried them higher and higher, Gideon and Candy began to stare out the window in silence. The carnival was much bigger than either of them had anticipated. It seemed to stretch on and on, into the horizon. The area was covered with dozens of different carnival rides, food stands, and carnival games. As they were moved higher up, they could see a few massive clusters of balloons in the distance, along with an enormous circus tent.

No matter how hard they tried, neither of them could see any sign of people. It was all empty.

After about ten or fifteen minutes had passed in total silence, the ferris wheel finally came to stop. With Gideon and Candy now sitting at its highest point.

Only then could Gideon and Candy see what laid beyond all of the carnival attractions. A long, dark void.

Gideon and Candy quickly moved to the other side of the passenger car, but the view was the same. It was as if the entire carnival were merely a tiny island, floating in a sea of darkness.

"...I do not see an exit..." muttered Candy.

Gideon frowned. "Dang it..." he muttered. "This whole place looks like a giant playground... Or a _maze_. And I'll bet it was made for only one purpose..."

"And what is that?" asked Candy.

"To mess with humans. It's a classic demon thing. I'll bet there's one or two of 'em out there right now. Laughin' at us." muttered Gideon.

Candy raised an eyebrow. "What makes you believe that demons are involved?" she asked.

Gideon sighed. "You see that there inky blackness? I think it's called a 'Void'. Or... An Xyzcek... Somethin' like that. Most of the Hellscape is made up of that stuff now... And I'm bettin' that's just where we are."

"...How do you know this?" asked Candy.

Gideon grit his teeth. "...I've visited once or twice..." he muttered.

Before Candy had the chance to ask a follow up question- there was a loud bursting sound, and the passenger car was suddenly filled with confetti. Gideon and Candy coughed and gagged, as a pair of speakers in the passenger car began to hiss and crackle.

"Congratulations! You are the one thousandth couple to ride the ferris wheel! Your prize is a complementary tour of pain and misery!"

The voice sounded like a classic radio announcer. The kind of voice that one might have heard on the radio some time in the late thirties.

Before either of them had time to react to the announcement, the passenger car began to move. But not up or down. It began to thrust forward. Like a roller-coaster. Suddenly, all of the passenger cars began to detach themselves from the ferris wheel, staying connected only by a few thin metal beams. The line of passenger cars then began to fly through the air, rapidly gaining speed.

Gideon and Candy were thrust backwards as the passenger cars sped through the sky. They screamed in unison, as the passenger cars began to twist, swerve and dive into air. Everything outside the window suddenly went black. Their screams were quickly drowned out by the sound of carnival music, and laughter.

Children's laughter.

Before too long, their laughter began to twist and wind. Turning into screams of pain and terror.

Blood began to splatter all over the windows, as the view outside quickly turned into a landscape of fire and rock. Hoards of people were walking in long lines, all chained together. They were all wretched forms. Like zombies, each in a different state of decay.

Gideon and Candy couldn't even hear the sounds of their own screaming anymore. Their ears and their minds were filled with the sounds of torture, as they were thrown from one side of the passenger car to the other.

And then- all of a sudden, it was gone.

The passenger car came to a slow stop, and everything went quiet. Gideon and Candy slowly scraped themselves up off the floor. They were both drenched with sweat, as they climbed back to their seats. They were both trembling. Gideon a little more so than Candy.

A few seconds passed, as they both struggled to catch their breath.

The passenger car was now floating peacefully across a vast ocean. The sky was dark, and the water seemed to go on forever. There were no waves or ripples. And the passenger car seemed to float across the water without leaving any semblance of wake.

Gideon took a deep breath, and sighed. "...We better not be headed towards some kinda waterfall or somethin'..." he muttered, with slight frown. His voice sounded a little too rattled for his liking.

Candy pursed her lips. "...I hope so too." she muttered. She was quick to regain her composure. Gideon couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy at that.

As time passed by in complete silence, Gideon slowly pressed his forehead against the window, and began to stare out at the water. Candy began to fiddle with a few of her hair-clips, as she lost herself in thought.

After what felt like an eternity of silence between them, Gideon finally spoke up.

"...I think... I see somethin'..." he muttered.

Candy blinked, and after securing all of her hair-clips back in place, she made her way to his side.

Sure enough, off in the distance, something suddenly bobbed up to the surface. Followed by another, and another. As they drifted closer toward them, it slowly became obvious exactly what they were.

Gideon grimaced, and Candy went pale.

They were all children. Lying in the water, completely motionless. Their eyes closed, and their faces cold and lifeless. As the passenger car drifted past them, voices began to fill the air. All of them whispers. And all of them saying the exact same thing.

 _"We... All..."_

 _"We all float..."_

 _"Down..."_

 _"Here..."_

Gideon and Candy stood there, paralyzed. As the voices echoed throughout the passenger car, as everything around them began to blur.

 _"We all float down here..."_

 _"But as we drift along, some disappear..."_

 _"Of course, only the ones paralyzed by the fear..."_

 _"Their fate, to be consumed by pain, most severe..."_

 _"So a word to the wise..."_

 _"Listen, carefully, to their cries..."_

 _"For soon enough, you shall share their demise..."_

 _"With love, your friend..."_

 _"Pennywise."_

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Their footsteps echoed throughout the hallways as Mabel, Marius, Grenda and Lillith continued to walk in complete silence. It had been over an hour since they had begun their search for Gideon and Candy, and it felt like they had spent the entire time walking in circles.

Lillith was walking out front, keeping a solid grip on her katana. Every now and again she would stop, pause, and then start moving again. Mabel and Grenda were trailing behind her, both remaining uncharacteristically quiet as they walked. Grenda had her baseball bat slung over her shoulder, and looked ready to use it at a moments notice. Mabel seemed to be lost in thought.

This left Marius at the very back, trailing behind Mabel and Grenda.

'Ich werde wochenlang Alpträume zu haben.' thought Marius, with a shudder. Unlike the others, Marius had very little experience with the supernatural. He had some fuzzy memories of seeing a lumberjack ghost during the night he met Grenda. But other than that, his life had been mostly free of the supernatural. At least, as far as he knew.

Marius ran his hand through his long brown hair, and sighed. His hair kept falling over his face and bothering him. And no matter how hard he tried- it simply wouldn't stay where he wanted it too. Finally, he simply gave up.

Between all the fancy shampoo and the constant brushing, having such long hair tended to be a lot more trouble than it was worth. A big part of him wanted to simply cut it all off. But whenever he found himself sitting in a chair, with Friedrich the barber hovering over him and brandishing a pair of long silver scissors, Marius always ended up saying the same thing.

"Bitte nur ein bisschen zurechtschneiden."

"Just a trim, please."

Afterwards, he would leave- with the very same haircut he had been sporting for as long as he could remember. He wasn't sure if it was just because it felt comfortable now... Or because it was some kind of reminder of the past.

Probably both.

"Uh... Mabel?"

Marius blinked, as the sound of Grenda's voice echoed throughout the hallway. She was speaking in a hushed tone. Unfortunately, a 'hushed' tone for Grenda was somehow even louder than her regular voice.

"Are you sure, uh... Are you sure that Lillith isn't just leading us in circles? We've been following her _forever_." said Grenda.

Mabel frowned a little. "...No. I'd... I'd really rather follow _anyone_ else. But with her and her weird sword thing around... I think you guys'll be a little safer." she muttered. "Besides... I... I _looked_ for her. So did Dipper. And now that she's here... I'm not gonna let her get away again."

Grenda paused for a moment. Her expression brimming with concern. "What... What're you going to do?" she asked. "With... With her, I mean. If you... Catch her."

Mabel thought for a moment. "Monster jail." she said, simply.

Grenda blinked. "Monster jail?"

Mabel nodded. "Monster jail. That's what I decided." she said.

Grenda absent-mindedly scratched her head with her baseball bat as she thought. "Okay..." she muttered. "So you're not gunna... You know... Destroy her, or something?" she asked.

Mabel's eyes turned downcast for a moment, before she quickly shook it off. "No." she muttered. "I-... I kinda wanted to... For a while... But... Getting all vengeance-ey won't reverse what's already happened. A-and..." Mabel's voice began to falter. She paused for a moment, as she felt a burst of sadness flooding through her chest. She grit her teeth, and took a breath.

"And... She... She _used_ to be my friend..." whispered Mabel.

Grenda tightened her grip on her baseball bat. "Yeah..." muttered Grenda. "...Sorry." she added.

Mabel shook her head, and shot Grenda a small smile. "It's fine." she said.

As Mabel and Grenda shifted their conversation into small talk, Marius shifted his gaze to the floor. He felt a sudden surge of guilt for having overheard what was obviously supposed to be a private conversation between two friends.

As time went by the tension in Mabel's features seemed to soften, little by little.

And then, Lillith spoke. And Mabel immediately grit her teeth.

"Everyone, stop.." said Lillith, in a loud, authoritative tone.

Marius immediately froze. Mabel and Grenda exchanged a look of suspicion before they did the same.

"What is it?" asked Grenda.

Lillith grit her teeth.

"...Something found us..." she muttered. "Stay behind me. All of you."

Lillith drew her katana, and shifted into a fighting stance. Holding her katana out in front of her, and it's sheath behind her- as if it were a second blade.

The air went cold, the walls, the floor and the ceiling began to lose their color. Replaced by a dull, sickly grey.

Lillith let out a high pitched hiss, quickly followed by a low growl. "...We're being pulled into another world..." she muttered. "Huddle up behind me. Stay close to each other."

Mabel, Grenda and Marius quietly did as they were told, as thunder began to shake the hallway.

Everything around them seemed to fall away. The ceiling, the walls, and the floor. Everything was replaced by an endless grey blur.

And then- it wasn't.

Mabel blinked, as she few droplets of rain sprinkle across her face. She was staring up at a sky brimming with thick ominous clouds. As she the clouds loomed over her, she quietly lowered her gaze and felt her breath slowly escape her.

She was surrounded by an endless forest of tall, gloomy buildings. Each one of them seeming as if they were in competition to see who who stretch furthest into the sky. Each building seemed to end at a sharp point at the top. As if they were doing their best to stretch even higher.

Most of the buildings were coated in a dark grey. Only the tiles on the buildings rooftops had any semblance of color. And most of them were either a sickly green, or a dark red. Everything seemed to be covered in a thin layer of grime. Some of it in wide, black patches that ran across the surface of the buildings.

Lowering her gaze even further, she noticed the long rows of streetlamps that lined both sides of the long cobblestone road she was standing on. They all seemed to have been made of the same black metal. And while some of them still shone brightly, most of them seemed to have been cracked and broken.

Both the streetlamps and the road were covered in the same black grime that she had noticed on the buildings surrounding her. Mabel watched, as tufts of smoke seemed to rise out of parts of the grime, and gently rise into the air.

Thunder continued to rumble in the distance, as Mabel held out her hand to catch some of the rain water. As she brought her hand up to the light of the streetlamps, she grimaced.

It was raining blood.

"...Ew." she muttered. "This stuff better not ruin my sweater. Then again- I guess if it does, I can always knit up another one." she muttered, as she wiped her hand on her sweater.

She sighed, as she looked around for a place to take shelter. Off in the distance, she noticed a pair of tall statues, standing on either side of the road. They were both on their knees, with their heads ducked down to hide their faces. The statues appeared to be carrying a bridge high up over the road. On top of the bridge, Mabel could see another row of streetlamps.

Since none of the buildings seemed to be able to provide any shelter, Mabel slowly made her way toward the bridge.

'...Where are Grenda and Marius?' she thought, as she made her way down the cobblestone road. 'I don't think either of them have an umbrella...'

She grit her teeth a little, and took a deep breath. "They'll be around here somewhere..." she muttered. As she walked, she found herself glancing down alleyways, and doing her best to peer into the windows of the buildings. Most of the buildings had their curtains drawn. While others seemed to be completely empty.

When she finally made it to the bridge, Mabel took a deep breath and shuddered. She was all wet from the blood rain. And running across the street to check every alleyway had left her feeling like a sweaty mess,

Muttering to herself, Mabel carefully slid off her sweater and began wringing it dry as best she could. She was wearing her old 'Ducktective Meets the Globetrotters' shirt underneath. It was something she had won at 'DucktectiveCon' about a year ago. It was still one of her favorites.

As time passed, the blood rain eventually came to a stop. The clouds began to part, revealing the magnificent form of a full moon. Mabel watched, as the moons pale blue light washed over the city, giving it an eery glow.

Mabel tied her sweater around her waist, and took a deep breath.

"Alright. Welp- I guess I'd better find Grenda and Marius. And Candy. And Gideon. And Dipper. And Pacifica..." Mabel trailed off for a moment, and sighed. "Why's everyone but me always getting themselves lost?" she muttered.

As Mabel made her way down the cobblestone road, she continued to stop and stick her head into every dark alleyway she passed by. After yelling Grenda and Marius' names, she would sigh, and move on. The city seemed to be completely empty. And the further she travelled, the bigger the city seemed to get.

Before long, she found herself standing on top of the same bridge she had taken shelter under. From there, she could see even more of the city.

There were long stretches of cobblestone roads, more buildings, streetlamps, and an enormous clock tower off in the distance. In the moons glow, the buildings seemed to take on more varied forms. Some of them appeared to be decorated with intricate stone carvings and statues, while others seemed to have been reduced to smoldering rubble.

The clock tower stood over it all. Like an enormous overseer, watching over the grimy city beneath it. The face of the clock seemed to be lit up by it's own unique orange glow. Making it easy to make out the numbers scrawled across its face.

As she stared out at the empty city, she felt her heart sink.

"...I wish Dipper were here..." she muttered. "...I could make fun of him for telling me all about all the 'Victorian and Gothic architecture'."

She smiled a little. Then, she frowned a little. "Huh... I guess all those historical architecture documentaries I slept through kinda paid off..." she muttered.

She considered that for a moment, then she quietly shrugged it off.

As the cool night air blew softly across her face, she cleared her throat, and took a deep breath.

"GRRRR-EEEEEEEENNDDD-AAAAAA!" she bellowed. "MAAAAA-RRRIIII-UUUUUUSSSS!"

As she struggled to regain her breath, the only response she received was the sound of her own voice, echoed back to her.

Mabel sighed. "C'mon... This whole 'scary-ish adventure' thing isn't is fun when there's no one around..." she muttered.

She had just started taking a deep breaths in order to yell for Candy and Gideon, along with Dipper and Pacifica, when she suddenly stopped.

Something was approaching. At first, it was only a quiet noise echoing throughout the empty city. As it got louder, Mabel could see it coming down the road.

It was an old horse and carriage. The horse had been reduced to a skeleton. With long stray tufts of white hair sticking out at random places along its spine. It was still wearing eye-flaps, even though it didn't appear to have any eyeballs. The carriage looked like it had been torn apart and then hastily slapped back together. There were rips and tears all over it, and clusters of nails all over the wheels. Seemingly to fix some of the splits in the wood.

Lying on its back on the drivers seat, was a blue small fox. No bigger than the average cat. It had several bushy tails. Some of them seemed to be acting as pillows for the fox, while others seemed to wave around in the air. The fox seemed to be fast asleep. If the obnoxious snoring was anything to go by.

It took some time, but eventually, the horse and carriage finally came to a stop right in front of her.

Mabel stared, as the skeleton horse clomped it's hoof against the cobblestone, and let out a loud snort. The sleeping fox stirred a little, but quickly went back to snoring. The horse gave an impatient snort, before leaning its head back- and biting the fox on the ear.

The fox shot up in an instant, with a high pitched squeal.

"Jean- _Cleade_! Vat eez ze matter vith jou!?" bellowed the fox. "Look at zis! Vat vould jou do if jou 'ad deformed my precious, _precious_ ear!? I 'ave half ze mind to speak to jour manager about zis!"

The horse huffed and snorted.

" _And_ jour Muzzer!" yelled the fox.

At that, the horse gave a high pitched whine, and turned away.

The fox licked its paw, and rubbed its ear. "Gah! Eet stings..." it muttered.

Mabel stared at the fox, with her jaw slightly agape. The fox's fur was glowing a dark blue. A series of long white stripes seemed to spread from around it's bright red eyes, and run down the length of it's back- travelling all the way to the very tip of each one of its tails.

Before long, Mabel found herself grinning like a mad-woman. As the fox gingerly tended to it's ear, it seemed completely its own impending doom.

In one quick swipe, Mabel picked it up- and wrapped her arms around it as she let out a high pitched squeel.

"Awww! You're _adorable_! Ah! You're fur is so soft! Ooooh! It feels so nice against my cheek... Refreshing, too! It's like warm snow or something!" she exclaimed. As the fox struggled against Mabels vice-like grip on it, the skeleton horse seemed to chuckle to itself.

"Don't think I forgot about you!" announced Mabel, as she wrapped an arm around the skeleton horse's neck. "It's been way too long since I've seen one of _you_ guys! Do you know Brucie? Or Janet? Aw- I'm sorry, I guess I shouldn't just assume you all know each other... Still! Look at you! You look like a Skull-Horse Rock Star!"

The skeleton horse appeared to blush, as the fox finally squirmed itself out of Mabel's arms.

"Gah! Personal space, mademoiselle! Jou are almost as bad as zat maniacal princess!" exclaimed the fox.

Mabel seemed to ignore the fox, as she drew the skeleton horses face closer to hers. "Hey- who's your fur guy? I'm asking because I've got this skull-horse friend who's getting married in a couple months, and she's been goin' kinda crazy ever since her favorite barber went and retired. But- what're you gunna do? The skull-horse barber trade got hit pretty hard by the recession..."

"HEY!" bellowed the fox.

Mabel and the skeleton horse shared the same puzzled look. "...What is it, Foxy McFoxerson? You hungry or something?" asked Mabel.

The fox let out a soft sigh, as it began to twirl its long white whiskers with its paw. It frowned for a moment. Then, as it stared up at Mabel, it suddenly gasped. "AH! It's _jou_!" it exclaimed.

Mabel blinked. "Uh... Yeah. I'm me." she said.

The fox gulped. There was a moment of silence, as the fox stared at Mabel in complete shock. Finally, it cleared it's thoat and seemed to regain its composure.

It didn't last long.

"...LOOK OVER THERE!" it bellowed. As Mabel and the skeleton horse turned in the direction that the fox had thrusted its paw, the fox quickly jumped into the broken carraige. Mabel and the skeleton horse turned back around just in time to see Dipper making his way out of the broken carriage, muttering angrily in french as he did so.

When he finally made his way out, he dusted himself off and cleared his throat. "Ah... My sister! I... I am surprised to see jou 'ere! Vat, er... Vat are you... 'Up' towards?" asked the fake Dipper, with a nervous smile.

Mabel raised an eyebrow. "...Huh... So you're the one that was pretending to be Dipper? I thought I recognized that Scottish accent of yours..." she said, as she held her imaginary detective's pipe.

The fake Dipper coughed nervously. "Vha-Vhaaat? F-fake? Pah. Pah, I say! How, 'er... Ridiculous..." he muttered.

"Where's the other one? The Pacifica one?" asked Mabel. She glanced over at the skeleton horse. "Is it you?" she asked.

Skeleton horse huffed, and shook its head.

Mabel rubbed her chin in thought. "Hmm... Well, if it's not you... Then maybe... The carriage?" she muttered. She stared at the broken carriage for a moment, and frowned. Fake Dipper watched Mabel inspect the carriage with an imaginary magnifying glass for a while, before he finally let out a heavy, defeated sigh.

"...She... Eez not ze carriage. Ve are not able to transform into ze inanimate objects..." said the Fake Dipper, as his skin slowly turned blue. In the blink of an eye, the fake Dipper transformed back into the blue fox. The fox jumped back on to the drivers seat of the carriage, and sat there- looking defeated.

"I 'ad suspected zat jou 'ad skipped ze 'sleepy time dinner' zat Mister Nekri 'ad prepared. But nooo- she wanted to report back _right_ away. I tell jou- She eez always being ze big 'rebel'. But when it comes to ze Muzzer... She eez ze ever-devoted little soldier..." muttered the fox. It sighed again, and moved its gaze toward Mabel. It's eyes were a pure red- but up close, Mabel could see a pair of deep red pupils in each of its eyes.

"...I do not know where ze real Deeper and Specifica are. I vas told by ze spiders zat zay vere taken away by a person in black. Even zay vere not sure as to ze origins of ze person... And believe me, ze spiders, zay are... How jou say... _Very_ well informed." said the fox.

Mabel clenched her fists, and frowned. She was quiet for a moment. But, only a moment.

"Okay- So why did you bring us here? Are we supposed to be _dinner_ or something?" she asked.

The fox shook his head. "Non. I do not believe so... Alzo zere are many residents of Dunwich zat vould be very 'appy for zat to be ze case." he said.

Mabel sighed. "Yeah, tell me about it. We got all tentacled not too long ago." she muttered.

The fox nodded. "Jes... Ze Dunwich Inn eez... A dangerous place. Monsters, demons and entire netherworld's, all connected by ze tears in reality scattered all throughout. Not a place for ze people who wish to remained tethered to zere sanity."

Mabel seemed to think about that for a moment.

"...What's your name?" she asked.

The fox blinked. "Excuse me?" it asked.

"Your name. What is it? Somethin' crazy, like Vyxenthroshie-tep? Or was I actually totally right with 'Foxy McFoxerson'? C'mon, you can tell me." said Mabel.

The fox stared at her for a moment, and then sighed once more. "...My sibling calls me Neb. Eet eez supposed to be ze name zat ze Mozzer bestowed upon me. But... Ze first name I was given... Was 'Polo'. I would prefer if jou called me zat."

Mabel smiled a little, as she grabbed Polo's paw and gave it a violent shake. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Polo. I'm Mabel." she said.

Polo quickly withdrew his paw, and gave a small huff. "Jes, jes- I am vell aware of who jou are." he muttered. "Now. If jou are 'ere by jourself... I assume this means zat jou 'ave become separated from jour... er... 'Friends'. No?"

Mabel nodded, and frowned. "Yeah... One minute we were all together, and then all of sudden- I was here." she said.

Polo nodded, as he twirled his long whiskers with his paw.

"...I see..." he muttered. "I am looking for someone myself. Not too long ago, I picked up an interesting scent... But eet vas not ze one I am looking for. Perhaps, eet vas one of jour friends."

Mabel grinned. "Really!? Where!?" she asked.

Polo sighed, and wearily pointed his paw toward the road. "Follow zis road, until jou find ze Doll Shop. Zat eez vere ze scent vas coming from."

Mabel nodded. "Great!" she announced, as she rubbed her hands together. "Well, skull-horse? Would you take me there? I wanna get there as fast as I can."

The skeleton hose nodded, and Polo frowned.

"Ah- Wait, Jean-Claude, jou are _my_ guide-" Polo was cut off mid-sentence as Mabel suddenly shoved herself onto the drivers seat next to him.

"Onward!" announced Mabel.

With that, the skull horse, dragging the carriage behind it, jumped off the bridge, and took off down the road- with Polo clutching for dear life, and Mabel laughing maniacally all the way.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

 _It was a bright and sunny day. Birds were chirping, and the breeze was filled with the sweet scent of flowers._

 _Marius stared blankly at the tombstone. His fathers name had been carved into the stone in big, fancy letters. Behind it, sat a large statue of an angel, embracing the tombstone from behind._

 _Marius had been standing there for hours now. Simply staring._

 _"Ah. Spending time with your father, are you?"_

 _Marius suddenly stiffened at the sound of the voice behind him._

 _"He was a very passionate man, you know. Very kind. It is rare to find one so rich and yet so... Grounded. At times, it was almost dumbfounding."_

 _Marius grit his teeth._

 _"...What... What is it you want, Mister Percival?" he asked._

 _The man behind him cleared his throat. "Well... I simply wanted to tell you, that my offer still stands. That is all."_

 _Marius kept his eyes focused on the tombstone._

 _There was a long silence. Eventually, Marius found his voice once more._

 _"...Why?" he asked._

 _"Because. You wish to take over your fathers company, do you not? To carry on his legacy? If you leave things as they are... Ownership of the company may very well go to your grandparents. And you know very well, that they intend to sell it... Rather than keep it alive." explained the man standing behind him._

 _"...I... I have heard stories... About your... Your methods... And you would have me... What? Become... Your disciple?" asked Marius._

 _"Something like that, yes. I promise you- I will teach you everything you need to know in this world. And, I should be able to pull some strings- In order to keep your fathers business firmly within your grasp."_

 _As the man standing behind him continued to speak, Marius could feel something begin to wrap itself around his arms. And his legs. Long shadows, rising from the ground._

 _"Unlike him... Unlike everyone else... I am willing to show you the way the world truly works. I will show you that darkness... That beats in the heart of the very Earth..."_

 _The shadows were getting tighter. As they slowly pulled him down into the ground, he heard the mans voice reverberate throughout the inside of his skull._

 _"I... Can teach you... Everything..."_

 _Marius grit his teeth, and shook his head. "Niene. I will not. I will never walk your path. No matter what." he muttered._

 _All of a sudden, the shadows seemed to disappear._

 _"I see... You still refuse to see the truth. You are determined to keep yourself blinded by your so-called 'light'. A shame. I suppose you've too much of your parents in you..."_

 _Everything seemed to go still as the air grew cold._

 _Marius sighed. "...I... I am sorry, Mister Percival. You have helped me greatly in the past. I will always be grateful for this. But as you said- I am my parents son. And_ my _family is the one I belong too. It always will be."_

 _All of sudden, Marius felt all of the air leave his lungs. A raw, intense sense of fear rattled him to his very core, as he felt the man behind him draw closer and closer._

 _"Well, then... Allow to tell you one last truth..." whispered the man, as he drew his face toward Marius' ear. "You are a coward. And a fool. Just like they were. And soon enough... You will lose_ everything _. Just as they did."_

 _The wind picked up once more._

 _And just like that, the man was gone._

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

As his eye's fluttered open, Marius could still feel the man's voice echoing in his skull. The cold feeling of the shadows still felt fresh in his memory.

He shuddered.

As time passed, the nightmare seemed to fade away in his mind, and Marius was slowly greeted with reality.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem much better than the nightmare.

Marius was lying on a hard, wooden surface. His mouth was gagged, and his arms and legs had been tied down to something. He tried to move, but he only succeeded in making a few muffled grunts.

"Hey! Look who's up!"

Marius jumped at the sound of the voice. He kept struggling against his restraints, as he felt something walk across his chest. Suddenly, he felt a cool piece of metal press against his forehead.

Marius froze.

It was a knife.

He tightened his fists, as he felt his features begin to tremble. He let out a muffled shriek, as the knife suddenly moved across his forehead. Slowly, and carefully, Marius felt the knife brush his long bangs out of his face.

"Hey, pal. You wanna play a little game? It's called 'Hide the Soul'. Trust me, you'll love it."

Marius looked up at the source of the voice, and let out another muffled cry. It looked like a child. Dressed in a red shirt and blue overalls, with long, wild looking red hair. It's eyes were cold and blue, and it's face seemed permanently twisted into a maniacal grin. It's face looked somehow... Inhuman. Like a doll.

Marius could feel himself start to hyperventilate, and he had to force himself to stop. His heart felt as if it was trying to burst out of his chest, as the child-doll stared down into his face.

"Mm... Mph?"

The child-doll paused. "Uh... Right. I guess you, uh... You can't really respond while you're gagged... Um... Hold hold... Lemme just... Uh... Damnit, why'de I have to be so good at tyin' stuff... Hold on... Let me just... Yeah, I'm just gunna try and, uh... Just... Cut through it... Wait... Wait... Oh, I got it... Yeah... Yeah, now I got it. Here we go."

Marius took a deep breath, as the child-doll finally removed the gag from his mouth.

"Ah... V-... Vielen Dank..." he breath.

The child-doll scratched it's head, and shrugged. "Uh, yeah. Whatever. Anyway, I-" it began, only to be quickly interrupted.

"Excuse me, I, er-... Do not wish to be rude... But... Are you... Plastic?" asked Marius.

"Uh, yeah. I'm a doll. In both senses of the word. Name's Chucky."

"Ah... I see... Well, it is being a pleasure to meet you... Mister 'Chucky'. I am Marius." said Marius. "Now, could you please undo the rest of these... Er... Ropes? I am not being of a huge fan of becoming... 'Tied up'."

Chucky cocked his head to the side. "Uh... No. I tied you up for a reason, kid. Now, how about we play that game of 'Hide the Soul'? I don't have all the fu-... _Freakin_ ' time in the world." growled Chucky.

"Er... Mister Chucky... I am not, er-... _Interested_ in you... Like _that_. It is not being your fault- I am just not interest in males... Or, dolls... In _that_ way." said Marius.

"Wha- I ain't _comin' on_ to you. Trust me, I could do better. _Much_ better. If I wanted too. And I don't." said Chucky.

Marius nodded. "Yes, I am sure there is a man out there for you. Have you tried online dating?" he asked.

Chucky blinked. "Are you... Are you fu-... _Freakin'_... Messing with me?" he asked.

Marius shook his head.

"...Somehow, that's _worse_..." muttered Chucky. "Alright- Listen... Let me cut ya a deal. All I need you to do is recite a simple little spell for me. Okay? And in exchange... Well, maybe I won't have carve up that pretty little face of yours." he said, as he brandished the knife.

Marius took a deep breath, and did his best not to look scared. "A-ah... That time, you were 'coming on', right?" he asked.

Chucky twitched. "You know what? I know the plan is to switch bodies with you- so anything I do to you, I'd technically be doin' to my shiny new body. But you know what? I guess I can live with an eye-patch." he said, with a dark chuckle.

Marius took another deep breath, and grit his teeth- as Chucky slowly brought the blade closer and closer toward his eye. "Don't worry. This'll only hurt a ton. And hey- if I mess up and gouge out some of your brains or somethin'... Well, I can always use one of the others. You and your friends brought a whole damn smorgasbord of nice, _warm_ bodies..."

Marius could feel the tip of the blade pressing softly into his closed eyelid, as Chucky laughed to himself. "C'mon now, kid. You can scream now. You've got my permission." he muttered.

Marius let out a loud grunt through his grit teeth, as Chucky slowly pressed the blade further.

"Aw, now come on. You can do better than that." he hissed.

Marius felt his entire body tighten, and begin to shake as Chucky stared down at him. His dead, plastic eyes staring down at him without a hint of emotion. Completely blank.

Then- there was a noise. It sounded like a bell, or a chime. Chucky paused for a moment. Then, in one swift moment- he shoved the gag into Marius' mouth. "You shut up..." he hissed.

All of a sudden, Mabel's voice began to trickle down from somewhere in the distance. "Hey, Grenda? Marius? Are you guys in here? Polo said he smelled something and- wait, I haven't introduced Polo... Hey! Come over here! What do you mean you're carriage sick? He only did like one or two back flips."

Chucky huffed, as he slid off of Marius' chest, and onto the ground.

Marius could hear Chucky walking across the floor, just as Mabel spoke up once more. This time sounding a little close."Wow, for a Doll Shop, this place is really creepy. Then again, I guess most of 'em are..."

"MMMPH!" shouted Marius, as he pulled against the restraints.

"Huh? Is that you Grenda?" asked Mabel.

Marius pulled as hard as he could. His right hand seemed to slip a little, thanks mostly to the massive amount of sweat that it had built up. He pulled, and pulled, grunting and squirming as he did. Finally- his hand was free. Marius wasted no time in pulling out the gag. "MABEL! WATCH OUT!" he bellowed.

Marius could hear the sound of a loud crash, and his heart beat went into overdrive. Moving as fast as he could, Marius quickly freed his other hand, and got to work on his feet. It looked like he had been tied to a wooden table. Each limb had been tied to one of the table legs.

There was another loud crash, as Marius finally freed his feet- simply by slipping out of his shoes.

The room he was in was very small, and filled with dolls. They were all sitting on shelves, on every wall. Marius grit his teeth- and looked around. It was dark- save for the dull orange glow provided by a candle that sat on one of the shelves. Then, he noticed the door. It was still open.

Another loud 'crash' filled the air, as Marius leapt off of the table and ran through the door.

Immediately, Marius was met with more dolls. Hundreds of them. All sitting next to each other, on tall shelves. Displayed as if they were books in a library. One of the shelves was suddenly sent crashing to the ground, as Mabel and Chucky wrestled against each other.

Chucky had grabbed her by the shirt, and was trying to stab her with the knife- but Mabel was pushing him back. Their tussle had already toppled almost everything in the front of the store- leaving inanimate dolls sprawled out all over the place.

Chucky pushed against Mabel, causing her to fall down on her back. As Chucky pushed the knife down towards her throat, Mabel had both her hands wrapped around his face- and seemed to be crushing it.

"RAAAGH!" bellowed Chucky.

Without a second thought, Marius launched himself across the room- and kicked Chucky with everything he had, directly in the stomach. This sent Chucky flying across the room, and into a wall of porcelain and glass dolls. Everything shattered, as Chucky hit it with a loud 'smack!'.

As Chucky slumped over in the distance, Marius turned his attention to Mabel. "Are you okay, Miss Mabel?" he asked, as he offered her his hand.

Mabel took it, and nodded as he helped her to her feet. "Yeah. Little guy surprised me. Thanks for the heads up." she said, with a smile.

Marius nodded, as he tried his best to get rid of the trembling in his hands and knees.

Across the room, Chucky slowly got to his feet. "...Ow. You... You impressed me a little... Kid..." he growled.

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah- whatever. You can go home know creepy doll-boy. We've got enough to deal with tryin' to find our friends. We don't have time to waste." she said.

Chucky huffed. "Yeah, well... Neither do I." he muttered. "A little birdy told me that this whole place is goin' to cave in on itself tonight... Everything's gonna be sent back into the big nothin'. Unless, of course... I take a human body."

As Chucky stood himself up, he carefully brushed away the pieces of shattered porcelain and glass in his hair. With a sigh, he unclipped his overalls, and pulled up his shirt- ignoring the disturbed reactions from Mabel and Marius. In his chest, there was large red jewels. Covered in small black markings.

"See this? It's supposed to be some kinda 'magic booster'. It's very useful. Only drawback is that there are seven words that I'm no longer allowed to say. If I do- I get electrocuted." explained Chucky.

"Like what?" asked Mabel.

Chucky shrugged. "Oh, you know the usual stuff. Like, fuck-" before Chucky could so much as begin to say the second word, there was a flash of white, as his entire body was suddenly covered in enormous sparks of electricity. Chucky let out a high pitched squeal, as his entire body shook. It lasted only a second, but it left him smoking.

Chucky stood there for a moment.

For a while, there was silence, as the three of them just stood there.

Eventually, Mabel began to snicker. And Chucky began to twitch with pure, unadulterated anger.

"Oh, I'm going to tear you to _pieces_." he growled, as he rose his hand into the air. "Or I guess I should say... _We_ are."

Slowly, the dolls that had been scattered all across the floor began to pick themselves of them were big, and some of them were small. They were all dressed in a variety of different little outfits. Ranging from frilly dresses, to old shepherd costumes and big puffy suits. Some of them were only dressed only in an old grey tunic, and most of the glass and porcelain dolls were now cracked and broken.

The dolls moved slowly. Each one of them taking their time to get up on their feet, and slowly turn to face Mabel and Marius. Their faces still. Their eyes devoid of any semblance of life.

Mabel grimaced a little. They were like an army of undead children. She stared at them for a moment, as she felt a deep sense of unease fill her chest. She did her best to shake it off, even as she felt the cold stares of hundreds of cold glass eyes boring into her. Shifting her gaze, she noticed a knife lying at her feet. She picked it up, and held it out in front of her. It was the same knife that Chucky had been holding before. She could tell that it was Chucky's, because he had carved his name into the handle.

"Uh, Marius? Do you have anything you can use to fight off a horde of monsters? Like a chainsaw, maybe? Or a flamethrower?" asked Mabel.

Marius shook his head.

"Well... I guess we'll have to make do with this." muttered Mabel.

Chucky laughed to himself. "Go!" he bellowed.

With that, the army of dolls launched themselves forward. Some of them ran, while others jumped into the air.

"The exit is over there! If we can push through, we might be able to make it!" yelled Mabel.

"Yes, Miss Mabel!" yelled Marius.

Marius and Mabel ran towards the horde of dolls, smacking them away as quickly as they could manage. One of the dolls managed to grab Marius' sweater. He managed to rip the doll away- but not without having the doll take a good portion of his sweater along with it. Several of the dolls had already grabbed his legs, and were proceeding to dig their fingers into the flesh as hard as they could. Others managed to crawl up his back, and start to pull at his hair.

Marius howled in pain, as more and more of the dolls began to crawl up his body and proceed to claw away at everything they could. Mabel, on the other hand- was having the same problems. Cutting or stabbing them with the knife did nothing to slow them down, and before long the dolls were clawing the was up her back and up her legs. One of them managed to jump on to her face. She quickly pulled it away, but not before receiving a long cut across her cheek.

Before long, Marius and Mabel were both covered with crawling and clawing dolls. They both collapsed under the overwhelming mass, and soon found themselves underneath a truly nightmarish doggy pile.

Chucky cackled. "Well! It's a shame to see a couple of fresh young bodies go to waste like that! But hey- there are plenty more where you came from!" he bellowed.

As Mabel squirmed underneath the painful clawing of the dolls, she grimaced. "Hey, Marius? Why's he talkin' about our _bodies_ all of a sudden?" she yelled.

Marius grit his teeth, as he felt some of the dolls start to rip out his hair. "RAAAGH! AH! Yes! He... He has kept doing the 'flirting' with me this whole time! I think he is, how you say... Very _repressed_!" he bellowed.

Chucky twitched, but did his best to ignore them.

"You mean, like, how some guys overcompensate because they're afraid of who they really are!?" asked Mabel.

"Yes!" yelled Marius.

"Well, hey! Doll-guy! You don't have to be afraid! Even dumb jerks like you can find happiness!" yelled Mabel.

Marius grit his teeth, as he struggled to crawl his way out from underneath the dolls. "Yes! No matter how annoying your voice is!" yelled Marius.

"Or how terrible your hair is!" yelled Mabel.

"Or your outfit!"

"Or the way you can't even fight off two teenagers without usin' some army!"

"And then... You just watch... Like a coward!"

"Jerk-face!"

"Er... _Very_ jerk-face!"

"Good one, Marius!"

Finally, Chucky reached his tipping point. "SHUT THE FUCK- BZZZZZZZT!" he squealed, as electricity burst out of the crystal in his chest, and began to spark all over his body.

All of the dolls suddenly went limp. Marius was the first one to burst out of the pile, but Mabel appeared stuck. Thinking quickly she did her best to hold out the knife. "Marius! Use this!" she bellowed.

Marius grabbed the knife, and gripped it tightly in his hands.

"RAAAAH!" he bellowed, as he launched himself at Chucky. In a flash of movement, Marius thrust the knife directly into the crystal- causing it to crack. The flow of electricity suddenly seemed to go out of control, as long arcs of energy flung across the room. The crystal began to give off a bright red light, as Chucky howled in pain.

Marius screamed, as the electricity ran through the knife and into him.

Then- the crystal exploded. Sending Marius flying in one direction, and the charred remains of Chucky into the other.

The dolls stayed limp, and so did Chucky.

As Mabel pushed away the dolls, she made her way towards Marius. He was sprawled out across the floor, with pieces of his sweater still smoldering.

His eyes fluttered open.

"...Miss... Mabel..." he wheezed. "Are you okay?"

Mabel nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for the assist." she said, as she offered him her hand.

Marius chuckled weakly, as he took her hand. "...Any... Time..." he wheezed. He dropped the knife, as Mabel carefully slung him over her shoulder. "Come on... We gotta go find everyone else." she said.

"We are... All... Separated?" wheezed Marius.

Mabel nodded.

"I... See..." muttered Marius. "Ah-... Oh... No... I-... I've ruined... The... The sweater... That... Meine grandparents... Gave... To me..."

Mabel smiled a little. "Yeah, the dolls kinda roughed up mine too. Tell you what- once we're back at school, I'll fix yours when I fix mine. Free of charge!"

Marius nodded, lightly. "Yes... Vielen dank..." he muttered.

As they left the doll shop, they found the skeleton horse and carriage waiting patiently for them outside. Polo was leaning over the edge of the drivers seat, heaving. "Urgh..." he groaned. "The next time jou take me somewhere... No. More. Flipping." he rasped.

The skeleton horse simply huffed in response.

When Polo noticed Mabel climbing on to the drivers seat next to him, along with Marius, he groaned. "While I was... Being... _Ill_..." he muttered. "I heard some... Screaming... And... An... Explosion... Did jou... 'Ave some trouble?" he asked.

Mabel shrugged. "Not too much. Right Marius?" she asked.

Marius breathed a sigh of relief, as he leaned back in the chair. "...Yes..." he muttered.

"Well good. Now- Get off of my carriage. I am not running a taxi service for jou people jou know." growled Polo.

Naturally, Mabel ignored him. "Onwards, Jean-Claude!" she announced. Polo groaned, as the carriage began to move.

"...You really are just like that maniacal princess..." he muttered.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

James Nekri sat in the ruins of his hideout. After the short confrontation with Dipper and Pacifica, the sacrificial alter had been destroyed. Along with one of the walls. Luckily for him, the most important item had been left alone.

Close to the entrance, sat a large silver bowl. Inside, a beautiful orange flame. Nekri walked over to it, and peered into the flame.

Inside, he could see the images of Mabel and Marius on the carriage. The image soon faded. Replaced with an image of Candy and Gideon, floating unconscious in a sea of darkness. The image faded as well. Quickly replaced with an image of Grenda, holding the unconscious form of... Someone else. Nekri couldn't clearly make out who it was.

Nekri sighed.

He knew where the other flame was. But, he still needed to find the third. And until he did... There would be more sacrifices. More pain, and more suffering.

And there would be nothing he could do to stop it.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

 _To be continued.._ _._

* * *

( **AN** : ... *sigh*. Sorry about the crazy delay. I had a lot of writers block on this one, coupled with some other distractions stemming from the 'real world'. Once again- I'm really sorry. I'm a little nervous about posting this one- because it took a lot of effort... I hope it's good.)

By the way, I wanted to give a big shout out to 'coldblue'. Your reviews have always been super in depth and very fun to read. I really appreciate it. Thanks!

I'm sorry that I don't really have time to respond to every one of the lovely people who have been kind enough to review my story. Because of the long wait, they've kinda piled up on me. Thank you so much to everyone who reviews. I usually message the people who log in and review- but I can't really do that with the people who don't have an account. Thanks to all of you.)

( _PS_ : As you can probably tell, I could've kept going with this chapter. There's a lot of ground to cover before I can reach the end of the arc- but I think I should be able to do it in the next chapter. I've literally only *just* finished this one, though... So I don't know how long the next one is going to take. Sorry...)


	12. Chapter 11

**LAST TIME ON 'WELCOME TO LOVECRAFT'**

After heading out on a school field trip, the class was caught in the middle of a strange blizzard. When Dipper and Pacifica disappeared into the snow, things began to look grim. Then, all of sudden, Dipper and Pacifica returned to lead the class to a strange wood cabin. With Dipper and Pacifica not acting like themselves, Mabel took it upon herself to launch an investigation into what exactly was really happening.

Unfortunately, things quickly took a turn for the worst. Gideon and Candy were suddenly 'kidnapped'. And Mabel found herself all alone in a strange place. Eventually, she was reunited with Marius, and befriended the shape-shifter who had been pretending to be Dipper.

As strange events continue to occur, what will happen next to the 'Official Laser-Puppy Study Group of Glitter, Sparkles and History'?

This chapter will follow Gideon and Candy...

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Dunwich Inn, Part Three

Candy flinched at the sound of the bell. Sitting up, she pushed her glasses up to her forehead so she could rub her eyes. She groaned, as she lowered her glasses back into place.

She was sitting at her desk in the front row of the classroom. She blinked, as she watched the other students rushing to the exit as they talked excitedly about their plans for the weekend. Candy slowly slid back her chair, and made her way towards the window.

The town of Gravity Falls was stretched out in front of her, almost in it's entirety. From there, she could see the library, the town square, and a giant balloon advertising 'Gleeful's Trustworthy Used Cars and Lawnmowers'. If she squinted, she could even see the Northwest Manor, far off in the distance.

As she stared out the window, she suddenly froze. Her reflection stared back at her, with the same expression of wide eyed shock. In her reflection, she was a petite little girl with long black hair tied into a set of pigtails. She was wearing glasses that appeared to be several sizes too big, with bright pink frames. She was wearing a white shirt, underneath a long green dress with thin ribbon like straps.

She blinked, as she slowly reached out to touch the glass. Her reflection moved along with her, until she finally felt the windows cool surface. Her hand was... Small.

"Candy?"

Candy flinched at the sound of the voice, and quickly turned around only to find herself face to face with Grenda. Candy let out a short gasp, and backed into the wall.

"Candy? There something wrong?" asked Grenda.

Candy stared at her for a moment. Grenda looked... Small. Barely any bigger than she was. Her hair was short, just barely hanging over her ears. And she was wearing a hairband, with a big pink bow on it. She was wearing a shirt that seemed to depict a kitten riding a unicorn through space, and a long black skirt decorated with dozens of cartoon bumblebees.

"Candy?" muttered Grenda, her face overflowing with concern.

Candy suddenly blinked, and slowly shook her head. "No..." she muttered. "There... There is nothing wrong..."

Grenda cocked her head to the side. "You sure? You look like you just got outta a coma or something." she said.

Candy rubbed her eyes. "...Yes... I do feel... Drowsy..." she muttered.

"Oh... Did you wanna just go straight home, then? I thought maybe we could go to the Mall together... Apparently, Muscles von Punchinstuff is making an appearance, and I _really_ wanna get her autograph! Maybe even challenge her to an arm wrestling match... I've been practicing!" said Grenda, as she flexed her bicep.

Candy took a deep breath. "...No, it is okay. Let's go. Maybe we will get to see her punch some stuff."

Grenda grinned. "Yeah! Like a chair! Or traditional gender roles! Or another _chair_!" she exclaimed.

Candy smiled. As the two girls made their way out of the classroom, Grenda continued to list different things that she would like to see punched, taking a break every now and again to hear a suggestion from Candy.

For some reason, it all felt strangely nostalgic. But in a good way. In a way that left Candy with warm feeling in her chest. As if... For the first time in what felt like an eternity...

She was finally home.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

The Mall was brimming with activity when Candy and Grenda arrived, and it had taken what felt like an eternity to make their way through the crowds. It didn't help that Old Man McGucket was mopping the floors with his beard again. On the bright side- at least it was with water this time.

Last time it was mustard.

By the time they'd finally made it to the center of the mall, the show had already started. There was an enormous cluster of people standing in front of the stage, as the announcer struggled to speak over the mutterings of the crowd. With a nervous cough, the announcer carefully tapped the microphone.

"Uh-... Um, h-hello? Hello, everyone... My name is Toby Determined. Th-this is the first time I've ever _announced_ anything... It's very exciting! Also- I hope I don't throw up on any of you..." he muttered.

The people standing closest to the stage began to slowly back away as Toby continued. "A-any way... Today's show is brought to you by... By..." he trailed off, as he squinted at his palm. "Gleeful's... Trabsolutely... Bus... Boos... Boosted... Is that... Is that seven? Aw, I think I sweated all my notes off..." he muttered, as he wiped his hand on his shirt- leaving a long streak of black ink on it.

"Aw... That was my last clean shirt..." he whimpered.

"HEY! GET ON WITH THE SHOW!" yelled someone from the audience.

"YEAH! The sooner everyone's done here, the sooner they can come spend their money over at the Mystery Shack! Remember! For today only, everything comes at a special price! Triple!" came another voice.

Toby Determined let out a series of odd noises, as he wiped away the river of sweat pouring down his face. "Uh- Yes, well... Okay. Ladies and Gentlemen! P-please welcome... Miss Muscles von Punchinstuff!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as Toby slunk off the stage.

Amongst the crowd, Grenda was struggling to see past the cluster of people in front of her. She tried jumping, yelling, and muttering angrily- but none of her strategies seemed to work. Finally, she let out a frustrated growl. "We'll miss the whole show like this! Come on! Down in front!" she yelled, to no avail. "I wish _I_ was big... Then I'd show 'em..." she muttered.

Grenda let out a long sigh, as she turned to face Candy. "Hey, Candy? You don't have any stilts with you, do you? Or pogo-sticks?" she asked.

Candy shook her head, leaving Grenda to silently stroke her chin in thought. Finally, her features suddenly brightened. "I've got it! Hop up on my shoulders! That way, at least one of us can see the action. Just tell me when she stars jugglin' chainsaws and stuff."

Candy blinked. "...Are you sure you do not want to try standing on my shoulders, Grenda? You have been looking forward to this for... For a while." she said.

Grenda shook her head. "Nuh-uh. Last time we did that, I kinda wound up hurting your back... Plus, it was kinda hard to balance properly. Besides- You're at least as much a fan of von Punchinstuff as I am. We did get those matching temporary tattoo's, remember?" she asked, as she rolled up her sleeve, and flexed her bicep.

Sure enough, on her upper-arm, there was a little cartoon figure of Muscles von Punchinstuff herself.

Candy blinked. "...I do not think I have one of those..." she muttered, as she checked her own arm.

Grenda shrugged. "Yeah, well- we did get 'em a few weeks ago. I've been usin' plastic wrap an' stuff to keep mine fresh."

All of a sudden, the crowd burst into a roar, as the show finally seemed to get started.

Grenda let out a high pitched squeal of excitement. "Quick! Hop on!" she exclaimed. Candy paused for a moment, and then shrugged. After some considerable effort, Candy managed to get her feet on Grenda's shoulders and stand. Unfortunately, it was an unstable union. And before long, Candy and Grenda both found themselves tumbling to the floor.

"...Ow..." muttered Grenda, as she collected herself. Candy was quick to get to her feet, and quietly brush herself off. "I think it is time for a plan 'B'." she said. As Candy helped Grenda to her feet, a deep husky voice seemed to cut through the sounds of the crowd. "Ah, there you are. I was lookin' fer you two."

At the sound of the voice, Grenda's expression immediately brightened. "Dad!" she exclaimed.

Candy blinked, as Grenda's father seemed to tower over them. He was a tall man, with a wide build. He had a kind, gentle looking face and a short brown beard. He was wearing a red bandanna over his receding hairline, and a pair of small wire frame glasses. Although he looked like a fairly average middle-aged man, Grenda's father did have at least one thing that set him apart from most of the other adults in Gravity Falls. Namely, the sleeve of tattoo's that ran down his right arm. There were snakes, skulls, tombstones and even a couple of names on there- including Grenda's.

As the crowd continued to cheer, Grenda's father shifted his glasses down the bridge of his nose and gave Grenda a look. "Shouldn't you be headed somewhere _else_ right about now?" he asked.

Grenda shook her head. "Nuh-uh. I made sure we'd have some time to catch the show first." she said.

Candy raised a curious eyebrow, and Grenda gave a nervous cough. Apparently doing her best to avoid Candy's curious gaze, Grenda quickly changed the subject.

"Uh- Where's Mom?" asked Grenda.

Grenda's father slid his glasses back in place, and shrugged. "I think she's still over at the food court, yellin' at the folks at Beuno Nacho. Apparently they're discontinuing their Vegan menu. She ain't happy."

The crowd around them suddenly burst into another cheer.

Grenda began to pout. "Aw, come on! We're missing out on all the best stuff!" she exclaimed.

Grenda's father sighed. "You two wanna lift?" he asked.

Grenda grinned. "Sure!" she exclaimed. Candy meanwhile, gave a polite nod. "Thank you." she muttered.

Grenda's father smiled. "It ain't any trouble." he said.

And so, Candy and Grenda perched themselves on his shoulders and spent the next twenty minutes watching Muscles von Punchinstuff do what she did best.

Which was, in case you didn't know... Punch stuff.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Candy grinned, as she held her newest prized possession close to her chest. It was an autographed poster from Muscle von Punchinstuff's first movie 'Attack of the Killer Explosions in 3D'. A true cinematic masterpiece. Grenda's father had been nice enough to pay for it- and she would be eternally grateful. Grenda had received a poster for 'Revenge of Chainsaw-nado', an equally fine piece of cinema.

As she trailed behind Grenda and Grenda's father, Candy was already making plans to frame her new treasure and hang it up in her room.

"C'mon, Dad! I coulda beat her right there! I'd be the youngest world arm-wrestling champion in history!" groaned Grenda.

Grenda's father sighed. "I told you, Gren- We gotta get. You know I don't like to be late. Besides, today ain't supposed to be about _you_ \- Remember?"

Grenda pouted a little, and sighed. "Yeah, I know..." she muttered.

Candy sent Grenda a curious glance. Grenda didn't seem to notice, and Candy simply remained silent.

For the next few minutes, the three of them waded their way through the crowded mall in silence- until Grenda and her father suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

"O-oh, are you guys hungry!?" bellowed Grenda.

Candy raised an eyebrow, as Grenda shot her a nervous glance.

"L-Let's go in here, Candy! I hear it's really good!" said Grenda, as she pointed to a nearby store. "Right, Dad?"

Grenda's father smiled, and nodded. "Yeah, let's head on in." he said.

Candy raised an eyebrow, as Grenda and her father walked through the doorway of a store she had never seen before. It looked like some kind of restaurant. Above the door, was an enormous sign that read 'Freddy Fazbear's Pizza'. Also on the sign was the picture of a cartoon bear, a rabbit, a bird and a fox. They were all standing with some kind of musical instrument. As if they were all a part of a band.

Candy adjusted her glasses, and frowned a little. Something about it seemed... Out of place.

She stood there for a moment, but soon shook it off. Things in Gravity Falls tended to feel 'out of place' all the time. If anything- it was the norm.

With that, Candy quietly made her way through the big glass doors and into the restaurant. Inside, she was immediately greeted by darkness.

She grit her teeth, as she felt a sudden chill run through the air. It was too dark to see anything properly. But as she took a few timid steps further in, she could begin to make out a few blurry shapes in front of her.

It looked like she was standing at the front desk. Behind the front desk, she could make out what looked like a couple of rows of tables and chairs, and a big stage. She shuddered, as she slowly made her way past the front desk.

"Grenda? Grenda, are you here?"

Candy's voice seemed to echo in the darkness, but there was no reply.

She bit her bottom lip, as the air seemed to grow colder and colder.

Then, all of a sudden, one of the lights on the stage flickered to life. Illuminating what appeared to be a large animatronic bear. Candy froze, as the bear slowly whirred to life. At first, it's arms and legs merely seemed to twitch, as it's eyes began to blink. First the right, then the left. It's enormous jaws began to flap up and down, and if it were snapping at the air in front of it.

A few more lights sparked to life on the stage, revealing a few more animatronic animals. A purple bunny, and a yellow bird. As their bodies seemed to writhe around in what looked like some kind of painful dance, a high pitched crackle began to fill the air. The bear suddenly stopped, and slowly picked up the microphone that had been sitting in front of it. It's movements continued to stop and start, as it slowly brought the microphone toward it's mouth, and seemed to let out a long crackly growl.

Then...

"Ha-ppy... Birth-day... To... You..."

All of a sudden, people began to crawl out from underneath the tables, as all of the lights in the restaurant suddenly burst to life. In front of her, she could see her parents, Grenda and her parents, and even a few kids from school. They were all smiling happily, as they joined the animatronic bear in singing along.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Candy! Happy birthday to you!"

With that, a sudden rain of balloons and confetti came falling from the ceiling, as an enormous banner appeared over the stage reading 'Happy Birthday Candy!'.

Everyone cheered, as Grenda walked over to Candy. "You didn't think we forgot, did ya? Happy birthday, Candy!" she announced, before enveloping Candy in an enormous hug.

Candy blinked. "Ac-Actually... I think _I_ might have forgotten..." she muttered.

"Alright! First we're going to have some birthday pizza, and then some birthday cake! I can't wait for you to open the present I got you, too!" announced Grenda, before leaning down to whisper something in Candy's ear. "It's a hula-girl lamp. _Super_ classy." she whispered.

Candy grinned. "Thank you, Grenda." she said.

"Aw, it's no problem Candy. You're the best friend a girl could ask for. Seriously." said Grenda. "Now, c'mon! We gotta _party_!"

With that Grenda barreled her way through a group of people, making a beeline for what looked like the tallest stack of pizza's Candy had ever seen.

Before Candy could join her friend in pouncing on a pile of pizza's, she felt someone tap her shoulder. Candy turned around to find her parents standing there, smiling.

Her father was a thin man with thick glasses and a receding hairline. He looked like he had just gotten off work- although Candy couldn't be sure which job it was. Mr Chu had a somewhat interesting career. By day, he was an average looking accountant. But by night, he was the average looking host of 'Gravity Falls: Live' the towns most popular radio program. Which was why, to most of the residents of Gravity Falls, he was known as 'Mister Radio'.

Her mother on the other hand, was slightly less 'average looking'. At the moment, she was wearing a fluorescent pink pantsuit, complete with sequins and a long flowing cape. Every day, Candy's mother would change her outfit, and they were always extremely garish. Mrs Chu also happened to be a musical genius. She could play almost every instrument in the world, and she was a regular guest on 'Gravity Falls: Live'.

"Happy birthday, sweet heart!" exclaimed Mr and Mrs Chu as they enveloped their daughter in a hug.

Candy smiled. "Thank you, Mom and Dad..." she muttered.

The Chu's broke up their family hug just in time for someone new to approach them. "Ah, Mr and Mrs Radio! It's awful nice to see you two. And you must be the birthday girl!" said the man.

Mr Chu adjusted his glasses, and frowned a little. "Good afternoon, Mr Gleeful. We were just talking with my daughter." he said.

"Oh, I do apologize. I'll come on by a little later. Happy birthday, little lady." said Mr Gleeful, as he gave Candy a friendly smile. With that, he simply disappeared back into the crowd.

"He probably wanted to talk about more ad time, honey." said Mrs Chu, as she gave her daughter an extra squeeze.

Mr Chu sighed again. "Yes... But at this point, if he gets any more then we will be playing that annoying jingle of his more than the music..." he muttered.

As her parents spoke, Candy noticed something in the corner of her eye. A flash of blue. And a familiar hair-do.

She frowned.

"Um... Excuse me, Mom and Dad..." muttered Candy.

Mrs Chu smiled. "Of course. Go play with your little friends, sweet heart." she said.

Candy gave her parents an extra hug, before disappearing into the crowd. As she pushed past the party-goers, she felt an odd sense of urgency begin to overtake her. As she moved, there was a sudden 'pop', and dozens of balloons began to fall from the ceiling, along with streamers and confetti. The animatronic animals on the stage began to sing again, and as she caught another glimpse of the familiar hair-do, the music seemed to get louder and louder.

Everyone around her began to dance to the music. As the streamers, the confetti and the balloons served to obstruct her vision, it was beginning to feel as if the entire room had taken a turn for the utterly chaotic.

Then, everything froze. As a familiar voice rang in her ears.

"Candy?"

She spun around, and felt her heart skip a beat.

Dipper Pines was standing there. Wearing his vest. His cap. His nervous smile.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Candy opened her mouth, and then shut it. Her voice stuck in her throat.

Dipper stretched his hand out in front of him, and smiled. "Wanna dance?" he asked.

Candy took a step back.

"N-... No..." she muttered. "You... You're not supposed..."

As she began to sputter, the balloons that had been floating in the air slowly began to pop- one by one. As the popped, they sprayed a massive torrent of blood all over the people near by. None of them seemed to notice. Instead, they continued to dance. Soaked in blood.

As Dipper stood there in front of her, offering her his hand, a balloon burst next to his face. And now, his kind, gentle face was dripping with blood.

Candy felt her legs give out from under her, as her head began to fill with familiar voices. They were all screaming her name. She looked around at the blur of bloody faces. Grenda. Her parents. Dipper. They were all staring at her. Soon to be joined by everyone else. Candy grabbed fist fulls of her hair, as she watched them all slowly begin to melt. Their faces were all still. Quiet. But the voices in her head were so loud, that she began to tremble.

All of a sudden, one voice cut through all the rest.

The voice seemed to fluctuate between a high and a low pitch as it spoke, while maintaining the same grating rasp.

"Want a balloon?"

Candy's eyes shot open- and all of a sudden, the room was empty. Everyone else had disappeared. She looked up to find the animatronic animals standing on the stage. Each one of them slumped over, with their eyes closed.

As she stared at the animatronic animals, she felt a cold presence standing directly behind her. Her heart skipped a beat, as she slowly turned around.

There was a clown standing there, holding a bunch of balloons.

As the clown stood over her, she felt her breath hitch in her throat.

The clown was wearing puffy, colorful clothes. A bright yellow onesie with big orange buttons, a vest made up of lines of purple and blue, big red shoes and a large white frill around his neck. It looked like an old circus clown.

It's face was covered in layers of thick white makeup, save for the lines of black around it's eyes and overs it's eyebrows. It's lips were covered in a thick coating of red, to match it's round red nose. The clowns hair was bright red and frizzy- sticking out in every direction around it's bald scalp.

The clown offered Candy a smile, and she felt her blood ran cold.

"Want a balloon?" repeated the clown, as it offered her a bright red balloon.

Candy didn't move.

"Sorry- It's been so long since the last time I prepared a good _meal_... I think I've gotten a little rusty." said the clown, as it slowly opened it's hand. Allowing all the balloons to float freely in the air.

Candy watched, as each of the balloons began to glow. On the surface of each balloon, Candy could see the faces of people she didn't recognize. Most of them children. Each one of them with their faces frozen in horror.

The clown stared at the balloons for a moment, before shifting it's gaze back to Candy. It's dark blue eye flickered yellow for a moment as it smiled.

"You know... Trudging through your minds... You two have seen quite a lot. More than most of the children I come across... It really made me wonder about that place you come from. 'Gravity Falls'. It's really peaked my interest. I think one day... I'll make my way over there. It seems like it'll be a really good time."

As the clown spoke, the calm in it's voice began to crack.

"And then... I went a little further. And... I noticed something..." with each word, the clown's teeth began turn into fangs, and it's eyes began to glow a fiery yellow.

" _Lovecraft_..." it spat. "You know _Lovecraft_. Correct?"

Candy remained quiet.

"You go to a school _founded_ by that _wretch_." the clown growled. "And now you're _here_. And from what the walls tell me... There are even _more_ of you."

The clown ran its tongue over it's long triangular fangs, and chuckled to itself. "I can't wait to have you join the rest..." said the clown, as it bent down and brought its face closer to Candy's.

"So. Your name is 'Candy'. Ain't that right?" asked the clown.

Candy shuddered, as she caught the smell of rotting meat in the clowns breath.

"Well, mine is Pennywise. So- Now that we're not strangers anymore... What's say we have a little more _fun_?"

The clown slowly opened it's mouth. Wider, and wider. Candy froze, as she stared into an abyss of teeth and pulsing flesh. She wanted to move. She wanted to scream. But no matter how hard she tried to make her body move- she couldn't. The smell of the clowns breath was overwhelming. As was the fear. And the knowledge that at that moment- she was truly staring into the abyss of death.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Candy jumped- the sound of the high pitched shriek momentarily snapping her out of her frozen state. There was a flash of blue and white, as Gideon suddenly humped in from the side and launched himself at Pennywise.

In an instant- Pennywise disappeared. Leaving Gideon to tumble into a heap on the floor.

"Surprise, surprise! Would ya look at that! Little Gideon comes in for the save! Who'd a thunk it!? Here I was thinking he'd stay hidden behind the curtain like the yellow-bellied coward he is!" Pennywise's voice shook the room.

"Well, you know what!? That's great! I wanted to watch you squirm a little more anyway! So it's a win-win for me!"

Gideon growled to himself, as he got to his feet. Ignoring the sound of Pennywise's laughter, he grabbed Candy by the wrist and pulled her to her feet. "HEY!" he bellowed. "Snap out of it!"

Without waiting for her to respond, Gideon pulled Candy along behind him as he ran to the exit door. Surprisingly- the doors swung open with ease. But instead of leading back to the mall, the doors instead lead into a long dark hallway. Gideon muttered angrily to himself as Pennywise's disembodied voice seemed to follow them from behind.

"Run and squirm and scream and die. You'll be with the others real soon, I promise. Until then- Why don't you play with some friends of mine?"

As Gideon pulled Candy down the hallway, the animatronic animals slowly whirred back to life.

"Have fun!"

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Everything passed by in a dull blur, as Gideon rushed down the hallway with Candy in tow. Eventually, he found a door that was unlocked. In a panic, he swung the door open and rushed inside. After slamming the door closed behind them, Gideon cursed to himself when he noticed that the door didn't have a lock. After finally letting go of Candy's hand, he rushed to grab a nearby chair, and jam it against the doorknob.

He huffed and wheezed as he wiped a river of sweat off his face. His heart was beating fast, and his mind was running at a million miles an hour. Doing his best to catch his breath, Gideon sat down and tried to collect his thoughts.

He remembered being ushered in to the strange pizza place by his father. He was supposed to perform a magic show for some girls birthday party. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to remember anything else. Everything before the party was... Blank.

Gideon glanced over at Candy, and frowned.

"Do... Do you know what's goin' on here?" he asked, as he wiped a river of sweat from his face.

Candy remained silent.

Gideon sighed. "I can't believe I just did that..." he muttered. "I shoulda just let ya get yerself eaten... Or... Whatever..."

Candy blinked slowly. She was still in a daze. But as she shifted her gaze over to Gideon, she could feel her senses slowly start coming back to her. She rubbed her eyes, and shook her head- as she did her best to shake off what just happened. Dwelling on all the new nightmare fuel wouldn't do her any good. Not right now.

She took a few deep breaths, and bit her lip.

After a few minutes of sitting in the room in total silence, Candy finally found her voice again.

"...Thank you." she muttered. "For saving me."

Gideon frowned. His first instinct was to puff up his chest and tell her that she now owed him her life. Which meant that he had just earned himself a brand new lackey. But for some reason, something about that idea felt... Off.

It shouldn't have. After all- cashing in on favors and such was step one in his twelve step plan to take over Gravity Falls. First, he would amass a nice little crime family of kids to take over the school- and then he'd spread out from there. He had it all written down in his diary back home.

Of course- he also had to figure out what to do with that old man in the Mystery Shack...

Gideon frowned again, and gently rubbed his forehead.

There it was again. That feeling that something was... Wrong. Something beyond the child-eating clown thing. Something in _him_.

While Gideon began to wrestle with something of an existential crisis, Candy began to survey the room they were in.

The room was cramped, and everything seemed to be covered in a thick layer of dust. There was a bare lightbulb hanging down from the center of the ceiling, basking everything around them in a dull glow. There were a few old, faded posters on the wall. A 'Hang in there!' poster that appeared to be depicting an actual hanging. An old poster with the words 'Freddy Fazbear's Fun Time Jamboree!' printed on it, and another one with a picture of a triangle with a big eye in its center. Candy's eyes lingered on the last one for a moment, before moving on.

Beside the posters was an old wooden desk. It was covered in a mess of old files and newspapers. Sitting on top of a stack of yellowing magazines was a small desk fan and a small TV monitor. Without thinking, Candy pressed the small black button on the front of the monitor, and it immediately flickered to life. The screen seemed to show night-vision footage of the hallway.

Candy blinked. She slowly pressed another button on the monitor, and the screen flickered. After a moment of static, the monitor was suddenly showing footage from the stage. Candy frowned a little.

The stage was now empty. The animatronic animal band had disappeared.

She stared blankly at the image as she felt a familiar sense of dread creep rise into her chest.

Candy bit her lip as she flicked through the channels on the monitor. Most of them were only static- but every now and again she would be greeted by footage of another room. There was an old store room that was filled with old pirate themed costumes and props. A dusty kitchen area, and footage of a dark room with a single light-bulb hanging from the ceiling. Every now and again, she would catch something in the corner of her eye.

A familiar shape or silhouette. But whenever she went back to check on it- it would be gone.

As she stared at the monitor, she could hear Gideon start mutter something behind her. At first, she ignored it. He was muttering in a volume just below a whisper- so it was barely audible anyway. But eventually, it began to grate on her nerves. Finally, she turned to face him- only to pause for a moment.

Gideon was sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth. His hands were buried into his thick white hair, and he seemed to be pulling at it as a steady stream of tears rolled down his cheeks. He was muttering to himself through grit teeth, and as Candy slowly made her way towards him, she could almost able make out what he was saying.

 _"Die... Gonna die..."_

 _"No..."_

 _"Shut... Shut up..."_

 _"Not... Not my fault... Not my fault..."_

Candy bit her lip, as Gideon seemed to breakdown. He was shuddering, and growing even more pale than usual by the second.

Candy knew Gideon. Everyone in Gravity Falls knew him. He was the son of Bud Gleeful, and the face of 'Gleeful's Auto Sales'. Gideon's face was plastered on posters and billboards all over town- and it had been since he was born. It was still possible to come across old posters featuring him as a baby- still wearing the same oddly sinister grin.

But for some reason... She felt like she knew him even better than that. She frowned a little at that, but quickly shook it off.

"...Gideon?" she muttered.

Gideon flinched at the sound of her voice, and quickly sent her a tear-stained glare. " _What_?" he hissed.

"...Well... You look like there is something wrong..." said Candy.

Gideon made a noise that could only be described as a cross between a growl and snort, as he quickly wiped his face with his shirt sleeve. "...This is all your fault..." he growled.

Candy frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Gideon huffed. "You know exactly what I mean! If I just let you get _eaten,_ then I coulda just escaped on my own!"

Candy raised an eyebrow. "That... Makes it sound like it is _your_ fault..."

Gideon grit his teeth. "It was not! I should've been perfectly fine watchin' you... Get _eaten_... But- I-... I acted like a _sucker_! That ain't me! I don't do nothin' for nobody! You... You must've done something! Did you use a mind control crystal or something!?"

Candy blinked. "Uh... No?"

Gideon flinched, and his face suddenly contorted with pain. Grabbing fistfulls of his puffy white hair, he began to mutter to himself again. "Shut up... Shut up... Shut up..." he hissed.

Candy's face was flooded with concern, as she watched him start to writhe in pain.

Eventually, Gideon shot her a look, as tears began to stream down his face once more. "Y-you... Do you hear it? T-th... Those voices?" he whispered.

Candy slowly shook her head.

Gideon tightened his grip on his hair, and went silent.

Time passed in perfect silence, as Gideon sat there frozen in place. Candy tried waving her hand in front of his face, but there was no response. Next, she tried calling his name- but to no avail. Candy adjusted her glasses, and tried to think.

Suddenly, she had an idea.

In one swift motion, Candy pulled a long hair clip out of her hair, and jabbed it into Gideon's side.

Gideon let out a high pitched squeal as he clutched his side and tumbled backwards. "OW! What the- Candy! What is _wrong_ with you!?" he exclaimed, as he scrambled to his feet. "Didn't nobody ever tell you not to go around _jabbin_ ' people like that!?"

Candy blinked, as Gideon launched into a full scale rant.

"Y'know, I've _literally_ tried to take over the world! More than once! I've driven a giant robot version of myself and tried to crush my enemies with it! But y'know what I didn't do? I didn't go around _jabbing_ people! I mean- who _does_ that? _Who_? A _maniac_ , that's who!" Gideon trailed off for a moment to gingerly rub his side. "And if that weren't bad enough, you went and got me in the _same_ place as last time! You _sadist_!" he exclaimed, as he pointed an accusatory finger at Candy.

Candy responded by pointing her hairclip at him- causing him to shrink back in terror. Candy smirked a little at that, and Gideon scowled.

"Way to go and prove my point..." muttered Gideon.

As Candy put her hairclip back in place, Gideon looked as if he were only just becoming aware of his surroundings.

"Wha-... Where are we?" he muttered.

Candy shrugged. "I do not know."

Gideon frowned. "What do you mean 'you don't know'?" he demanded.

"I _mean_ , 'I do not know'." growled Candy. "Everything has been like a crazy blur... I-... I do not know what is real anymore... It just... It is just one big nightmare..."

Gideon rubbed his face and frowned. "A _nightmare_... When is it ever _not_ a _nightmare_..." he muttered.

The room went silent for a moment, as Gideon rubbed his temples, and Candy stared off into space. The silence didn't last long however, as Gideon was quick to break it.

"You... You look... _Younger_..." he muttered.

Candy blinked as she snapped out of her blank stare, and rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean... You look like you're a _kid_ again..." he said.

Candy frowned a little. "You are a kid too." she muttered.

Gideon glanced down at himself, and let out a long defeated sigh. "...Dang it..." he muttered angrily. "Not _again_..."

Candy raised an eyebrow. "What... What do you mean ' _not again_ '?" she asked.

Gideon gave her a weary look, and shook his head. "Never mind..." he muttered.

Candy frowned a little, but she appeared to let it go. Opting instead to return to the monitor and start flipping channels again. Gideon stared at her for a moment, and then quickly looked away.

The room went silent, save for the sound of Candy changing the channel every few minutes. As time passed, eventually Gideon ran a hand through his fluffy white hair, and sighed.

"Dang it... I just know that any minute now... Somethin' horrible is gonna happen." he muttered.

Candy blinked, and turned to face him. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Gideon sighed. "...Y'all seem to 've gotten yer memories... _Scrambled_." he said. "If you _hadn't_... Then I reckon you'd know exactly what this is..."

Candy raised a confused eyebrow. "...Excuse me?" she asked.

"...Somethin' is messin' with us. My guess... Is that it's that big creepy clown guy. And right now... We're bein' left to ourselves... Just for long enough for us to gain some sorta sense of 'security'. Then... Right about when we least expect it..." Gideon trailed off, and shrugged. "Well- Somethin' happens. And it ain't ever anythin' good."

Candy seemed to consider that for a moment, and shrugged. "Oh, well." she muttered.

Gideon scowled and shook his head with disgust. " _'Oh, well'_ \- Y'know, it wouldn't kill ya to try an' take this a lil' bit _seriously_."

Candy ignored him, and turned her attention back to the monitor. For some reason, she felt compelled to keep flipping through the channels. It was as if she were looking for something. She just didn't know what. As time slowly ticked by, she had become so absorbed in the monitor that she failed to notice Gideon approach her. As he peered over her shoulder, he let out a low sigh. Causing Candy to suddenly jump.

Gideon cocked an eyebrow. "What?" he muttered.

Candy shot him a withering glare. "Do. Not. Do. That." she hissed.

Gideon rolled his eyes. "Whatever. So, this is security camera footage or somethin'... Right?" he asked.

Candy nodded.

"What's a pizza place need security camera's for?" he muttered.

Candy gave him a look.

"Yeah, yeah- Dumb question. We're trapped in hellish nightmare realm by a demon clown. I got it." muttered Gideon.

Candy faltered a little, and frowned. "Is... Is _that..._ _R_ _eally_ what is going on?"

"Uh... _Yeah_. What- you got a better idea?"

Candy slowly shook her head.

Gideon let out an obnoxious snort, as he reveled in what he seemed to take as some kind of victory. Candy rolled her eyes and ignored him. Turning her attention back to the monitor.

Suddenly, the lights flickered off. Candy and Gideon froze, as the monitor suddenly went blank. Behind them, there was a loud 'click', as the door suddenly swung open. A soft melody began to float through the air. It was quiet at first. Only barely audible. But it was slowly growing louder and louder. It sounded like the soft tune of a music box. Without realizing it, they slowly inched closer together, as the sound of heavy footsteps rattled the air.

' _Clomp_ '

Gideon tightened his hands into fists, as he suddenly found himself frozen in place.

' _Clomp_ '

Candy began to feel around, searching desperately for anything that could possibly resemble a weapon.

' _Clomp_ '

"Ah- Dang it, Candy!" Gideon hissed, as Candy yanked at his hair.

"I am looking for a weapon!" she hissed back.

"Well, you ain't gonna find one in my hair!" growled Gideon.

' _Clomp_ '

"Shut up and help!" hissed Candy.

"Why don't ya just use of those _hair-clips_ of yours?" hissed Gideon.

Eventually, Candy managed to get her hands on the monitor. She tried to lift it off of the desk, but it wouldn't budge. She let out a short exasperated grunt, and quickly pulled out her long hair-clip. It would have to do.

'...'

All of a sudden, the footsteps had stopped. Candy shuddered, as she and Gideon both held their breath. Gideon seemed to remain perfectly still, as Candy tried desperately to keep herself from shaking.

The air went cold. Everything was still. In truth, the moment lasted less than a second. But for Gideon and Candy, it seemed to drag on and on.

Suddenly, there was a high pitched scream as the lifeless face of the animatronic bear sprang out from the darkness. Candy screamed, and ducked just as it swiped it's hand at her. The hand caught Gideon on the side of the face, sending him screaming across the room. The bear wasted no time in making another grab for Candy. Effortlessly picking her up by her hair in one fluid motion. She screamed in equal parts pain and terror, as the animatronic bear lifted her into the air, and then slowly brought her close to it's face.

She could feel the heat emanating from the dull yellow glow in it's robotic eyes. She could hear the sound of the bears animatronics at work. The whirring, the dull clicking sound of metal against metal, and the soft hum of electricity. Candy let out a another high pitched scream, as she suddenly thrust her hairclip into it's eye. All of the bear's extremities gave a violent twitch, and it's hand loosened it's grip on her hair. Candy tumbled to the ground. And in a blur of terror and pain, she wasted no time in running.

By some miracle, she made it to the hallway. Where the light was just dim enough for her to see where she was going.

Her body was overwhelmed by the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She couldn't think anymore. All she could do was run.

Then, another scream rang throughout the hallway. And all of a sudden- she stopped.

" _Gideon_..." she whispered.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

 _"Gideon..."_

Everything was swirling around in a sick blur. The smells of death permeated the air. Blood and rotting flesh. Getting stronger with every passing moment. Gideon could feel himself being dragged into it. His body was limp, and his mind was a dull haze. The smell began to smother him. Threatening to choke the life out of him.

 _"Do not... Be scared. We... Will protect you."_

Gideon didn't recognize the voice. It was barely audible. Speaking just above a whisper.

 _"It will hurt... For a moment. But... You will be safe..."_

The voice sounded as if it belonged to a young boy. His tone was sad. Defeated. As if he were watching the world crumble all around him.

Gideon tried to speak, but he couldn't seem to find his voice.

It was dark all around him. But as time slowly passed, his eyes began to adjust. He was being dragged down a long hallway. The walls were covered in long scratches, and splashes of blood. And the floor was covered in a layer of slick bile.

Gideon tried to look up at his assailant. His neck was stiff, but he was able to move it just enough to make out the shape of the creature. It was a tall animatronic bear. Wearing what appeared to be a tall black top-hat and a bow-tie. It's movement was stiff and robotic.

Gideon struggled to move once more, but his body seemed to refuse his brains instructions.

All of a sudden, they came to a stop.

The animatronic bear moved it's hand forward, and opened a large rusty metal door. There was a deafening screech as the door swung open. The animatronic bear made it's way into the room without so much as a pause. Keeping it's hand wrapped tightly around Gideons arm as it dragged him inside.

There was a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling that flickered every few seconds. And directly beneath the bulb, sat another animatronic. This one was a squirrel. It had a big red tie, a large white pompadour, and an enormous grin plastered across it's face. It's body was painted a light blue, while it's stomach was white. The paint was old and peeling, and patches of it seemed to be rusting away.

As the lights flickered, other animatronic animals suddenly appeared standing next to the squirrel. First, a purple rabbit. Then, a yellow bird. Then, a fox an eye-patch and a hook for a hand. They were all standing around the squirrel in a circle. All of them were staring at Gideon, as they stood motionless.

 _"Did you get them?"_

 _"Did you?"_

 _"Did you save the boy?"_

 _"Did you save the girl?"_

The room was suddenly filled with whispers. Each one only barely audible. They were all different, but it was impossible make out each individual voice as they talked over one another.

The animatronic bear twitched a little, as it slowly picked Gideon up and held him in front of the others.

 _"I saved this one... The other... Ran away..."_ this voice belonged to the boy from before. But it was impossible to tell if it was actually emanating from the animatronic bear.

 _"Why do they always run?"_ asked another voice.

 _"We only want to help them..."_

 _"They always run... And then they get hurt..."_

 _"Don't they understand?"_

Gideon grit his teeth. The voices were beginning to grate on his nerves, and he wanted nothing more than to tell them all to shut up.

All of a sudden, the bear animatronic moved forward, and pressed a small button underneath the squirrel animatronics chin. All of a sudden, all of the plates of metal that made up it's body sprang open.

 _"You will be safe inside..."_ whispered the boy voice. _"It... It will only hurt for a moment."_

Gideon was unable to struggle as the bear suddenly crammed him into the blue squirrels open body.

 _"Where is the girl?"_

 _"Has she disappeared?"_

 _"Was she hurt?"_

 _"Or eaten?"_

Gideon took a deep breath, as he felt the animatronic bear slowly close the metal plates over his body. Locking him into the animatronic body. 'Damn it... Damn it, move! MOVE!' he screamed inwardly, as the plates around his legs were locked in place. But no matter how hard he tried, he remained utterly helpless.

All of a sudden, an image flashed across his eyes.

A vision of a pile of animatronics. All in different shapes and colors. Blood oozed from every space in the metal. The faces were especially bloody. Lifeless human eyes stared out of the eye holes of each animatronic shell. Gideon quickly recognized the eyes of the three at the top of the pile.

Grenda. Candy. Mabel.

Each one of them dead, and stuffed into an animatronic shell. Beneath them, he could also see his own form. Twisted and mangled, staring blankly through a metal mask.

Suddenly, Gideon felt his fingers begin to twitch. He grit his teeth. The vision began to dissipate, and he was once again staring up at the animatronic bear.

"N-...no..." he wheezed. Slowly, he manged to wiggle his arm free. And without a second thought, he quickly used it to swipe at the animatronic bears face. His hand simply bounced off of the bears padded face, but that didn't stop him. This time, he used his other arm to throw a punch.

There was low 'thud' as Gideon smacked the bears face. "No... No! Stop it!" Gideon growled, as he felt his voice slowly come back to him. "Y-you... You're not going to do this! Stop it... STOP IT YOU _BASTARD_!" he bellowed.

The bear grabbed one of Gideon's arms, and effortlessly pushed it back into the animatronic shell. As the bear slowly closed the plates of his arm, Gideon used the other to claw at the bears face.

"LET ME GO!" Gideon bellowed.

 _"Calm down..."_

 _"Don't be scared..."_

As Gideon felt his other arm being pressed into place, he grit his teeth. Every part of his body was screaming for escape. But no matter how hard he struggled, it was all for naught. As he felt the metal plates being closed over his other arm, he felt his blood start to run cold.

 _"It will only hurt for a moment... Just a moment..."_ the voices repeated themselves over and over, as Gideon felt the metal plates start pressing against him. The pressure against his chest was already making it difficult to breath. As Gideon sputtered threats and angry invectives, the bear carefully closed the plates over Gideons face. The voices continued to whisper amongst themselves, but Gideon could no longer make out what they were saying.

As he struggled to see through the eye holes in the metal mask, he watched the bear slowly lower it's hand towards him. The bear carefully pressed a small button on the animatronic suits chest. Gideon let out a muffled scream, as a sudden burst of terrible pain shook his very being.

The animatronic animals stood around him, as Gideons animatronic suit began to tighten all around him. It began to twist around his body. Bending and shaping it into unnatural forms. A jolt of electricity forced him into a painful spasm, and he could feel pieces of metal within the suit begin to tear through his skin. Blood began to seep out of the spaces between the metal plates, as the electricity continued to force his entire body into painful fits.

As it continued, the other animatronic animals began to disappear. One by one.

First the purple rabbit. Then the yellow bird. Followed by the fox.

The bear stood there the longest. Watching Gideon writhe in pain with cold, apathetic eyes.

 _"The clown... Can't hurt you... If you are one of us..."_ the sound of the voice echoed throughout the room. It's tone just as sad as before.

 _"...I'm sorry..."_

With that, the bear disappeared.

Leaving Gideon to scream and writhe in the darkness.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

 _"My sweet little pumpkin..."_

"..."

 _"Hello? Little pumpkin... Are you okay?"_

Gideon's eyes fluttered open momentarily. Only long enough to catch the slightest glimpse of the woman leaning over him.

"Mommy...?" he whimpered.

 _"Shh... It's okay, little pumpkin. It's okay."_

Gideon groaned. He felt as if he were floating... His body was limp and cold. His eyes fluttered open again, and he caught a better glimpse of the woman.

She smiled down at him. And in an instant, Gideon felt the true specter of fear wrap it's hands around his heart.

It was her.

"Mo-...Mommy..." he whimpered.

 _"It's okay, little pumpkin... It's okay..."_ she cooed.

She looked young again. Reminding him of a time long in the past. Before her long curly hair had begun to go grey. Before her eyes had been marked with dark circles and bags as result of her insomnia. Before her face had been covered in wrinkles. Each one of them a reflection of the incredible mess of stress and fear that seemed to twisting around inside of her at every moment

Before... Before he _broke_ her.

 _"Little pumpkin... Listen to me... If you want to help your little friends... I can tell you how."_ whispered his mother.

"N-no..." muttered Gideon.

 _"Listen to me, little pumpkin... Please..."_

"NO!" screamed Gideon, as he tried to push her away. He froze in an instant, as the sound of glass breaking filled the air. Gideon recoiled in horror, as he stared at his mother. Half of her body had shattered. As if she were merely a glass doll. A thick black smoke billowed out from the empty space inside of her. Gideon's mother carefully collected herself, and drew closer to her son. Half of her face had been reduced to shards. So the missing half was now replaced with a thick cloud of smoke, with a single glowing eye floating around on the surface.

 _"Little pumpkin..."_

Gideon recoiled at the tone of her voice. It was so... Caring. Full of a kind of motherly love he hadn't seen for many, many years. It felt like a knife to the heart.

 _"Calm down..._ " said his mother. _"You mustn't lose yourself... You have people counting on you..."_

Gideon grit his teeth. "No. I don't. Now, go away." he growled.

 _"Just listen. Please. The monster... The- The clown... The one responsible for this terrible nightmare... It has a secret. A weakness."_

Gideon blinked. "Wha- What?" he sputtered.

 _"The clown... Is obsessed with despair. Despair is it's greatest source of power... It feeds on it. It has enslaved countless souls already... Trapping them in an endless cycle of torment. But the monster always craves more of it... And it has been starved of new victims for a very long time. Over time, it has weakened greatly... Do not give in to despair... Do not allow yourself to be rendered useless like so many others... The monster is weak. You can fight back..."_

"H-... How do you know all this?" muttered Gideon.

His mother smiled. _"Because... I told you. A long time ago... Remember the story?"_

All of a sudden, Gideon felt something hit his chest. He groaned, as the vision of his mother suddenly flickered.

 _"My little pumpkin... The world is bursting with secrets. Nothing is ever quite as simple as it appears at first glance. Especially... Not... Me..."_

Gideon felt another impact on his chest. He groaned, as his mother suddenly brought her forehead to his.

There was a flash of white. Followed quickly by the image of an old photograph. It was in black and white.

A man in a long black suit. Beside him, three children. A little boy, a little girl, and a baby girl. The baby was wrapped in the arms of the little boy.

Gideon felt another impact against his chest, and everything seemed to dissolve into a field of white.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Candy let out a guttural scream, as she pounded her fists against Gideon's chest. His body was limp and bloody. His eyes lifeless. But she wasn't about to give up. Candy took a long, deep breath and pressed her mouth against his. Candy had only ever seen CPR being performed on television or in the movies. As struggled to reproduce what she remembered, she had to do her best not to let herself be overcome with desperation.

She had to think. She had to keep herself focus. But seeing the broken and bloody form of Gideon lying limp inside that animatronic squirrel had been like a shock to her system. It had taken her a long time to track where the animatronic bear had dragged him, and by the time she found him, she been forced to watch him scream and squirm inside the animatronic suit.

Every fiber of her being had wanted to race out there and stop it. But she knew that if she did that, she would only end up like him. Especially with all the other animatronic animals standing around him.

When the animatronic animals disappeared into the shadows, she wasted no time in racing to his side and doing everything she could to pull him out of the suit. She had been electrocuted more than once as she tried to pry apart the metal plates, but eventually she had found a tiny button on the animatronic's chest. Pressing it had opened all of the plates at once, revealing Gideon's broken body.

It hadn't taken her long to figure out that his heart had stopped. And she had been doing everything she could to bring him back for what felt like an eternity. Her desperation was growing at a rapid rate, causing her hands to tremble as she pounded against his chest once more.

"Gideon... C-Come on..." she muttered, as she did her best to bite back tears. "D-damn it... Gideon..." she growled. "Wake up! J-just... Just wake up..."

Candy shook her head. She wasn't about to let herself lose focus. She couldn't give up. If she did, a human being was going to die. And there was no single part of her that was prepared to let that happen. So she took another deep breath, and did everything she could to try and breathe life back into him.

Just as the sick feeling of dread began to settle in her chest, Gideon's entire body gave a sudden spasm. Candy drew back just in time for Gideon to launch into a short coughing fit. His eye fluttered open for a moment, as his body continued to twitch. "M-Mommy..." he whimpered. He swiped the air with his trembling hands, as if he were trying to push something away.

"Gideon!" yelled Candy.

At the sound of his name, Gideon suddenly sat up. His eyelids and his extremities were all twitching violently, when Candy suddenly wrapped her arms around him. He let out a high pitched squeak in surprise, but Candy seemed to ignore it.

"Thank you..." she muttered. "Thank you... For not dying..."

Gideon frowned and looked away. "...That hurts, y'know." he muttered.

Candy quickly broke the hug, and did her best to gather herself. "I-... I am sorry... I-if... If I had not ran away... O-or... If I had just tried to fight them of... Th-then..." she shuddered, as she replayed the sound of his screaming in her head. "I-... I am sorry..."

Gideon grimaced. He was drenched with sweat and his little blue suit had been stained with blood. His hands were still trembling, and his body seemed to have gone numb with pain. He took a deep breath, and groaned. His eyelids were heavy, and it was taking everything he had just to keep himself from losing consciousness.

"You... You should've just stayed gone..." he muttered.

It took Candy a moment to register that Gideon had even spoken. When she finally did, she frowned.

"...Excuse me?" she asked.

"You heard me..." muttered Gideon. "You... You should've ran away... And never looked back. That's what I'd have done."

Candy gave a deep sigh, as she took off her glasses to clean them with her shirt. "Well... We are different, then." she said.

"Yeah... No kiddin'..." muttered Gideon.

As Gideon and Candy sat in the dark room, the lightbulb above them continued to flicker. The smell of blood and death was still thick, but both Gideon and Candy seemed to have adapted to it fairly quickly. Suddenly, the air went cold. Candy grit her teeth and Gideon gave a tired sigh, as a familiar melody began to float through the air.

"Damn it... They really need to come up with another gimmick..." muttered Gideon.

As the music drew closer, Candy quickly scanned the room for anything she could use as a weapon. Her hair clip had proven somewhat effective, but something told her she would need something with a little more bite. Like a mini-gun. Or maybe some kind of anti-aircraft missile. Even with the dull glow provided by the flickering light-bulb, it was difficult to see. Eventually, she spotted a red locker on the wall behind her. The word 'Emergency' was written across the front of it.

Moving as quickly as she could, Candy made her way toward the locker. The melody was getting closer with every passing second. Candy spent a moment struggling to open the rusted metal door of the emergency locker, but with a little effort the door was quickly swung open. Inside the locker she found a large fire axe and a fire extinguisher.

It wasn't a rocket launcher- but it would have to do.

As Candy pulled the axe and the extinguisher out of the locker, she felt another chill in the air. Her heart was racing as she made her way back to Gideon. With a deep breath, Candy placed the fire extinguisher by Gideon's side, and gripped the axe as tight as she could. Gideon stared at the extinguisher for a moment, and frowned.

"...What is this?" he muttered.

"It is your weapon." said Candy.

"A fire extinguisher. My weapon... Is a _fire extinguisher_." said Gideon, looking incredulous.

"Yes."

"What- What am I supposed to do with a _fire extinguisher_?"

Candy shrugged. "Hit it."

"Excuse me?"

"Hit the bear with it. As hard as you can."

"Uh-huh. Let's say my arms were in any condition to pick up anything in the first place... What's hitting it with a fire extinguisher supposed to do? _Annoy_ it?"

Candy didn't respond.

"I mean- you've got an _axe_. At least that has a sharp edge to it." said Gideon.

Candy ignored him, and instead focused on the sound of the incoming melody.

Eventually, Gideon closed his mouth and the room was encompassed with a heavy silence. Save for the melody, and the soft sound of approaching footsteps.

 _'You came back for him...'_

Candy stiffened, as a soft whisper echoed throughout the room.

 _'You are a good friend...'_

Gideon huffed. "We ain't friends." he muttered.

There was a long pause, as the melody suddenly disappeared. Then, there was a high pitched screech as the animatronic bear suddenly appeared in front of them. It lunged forward, only to have Candy swing the axe into it's face as hard as she could. The bear stepped back for a moment, giving Candy an opportunity to pull the axe out of the bears face and go for another swing. She took it- this time managing to lodge the axe into the side of it's neck.

The bear let out a low pitched roar, and knocked Candy to the side with a swipe of it's hand. Candy was sent tumbling to the ground, leaving the axe stuck in the bears neck. The bear moved to lunge at her once again, only to have it's vision suddenly obstructed by a thick stream of foam. The bear let out another growl, as Gideon emptied the fire extinguisher into it's face.

The bear seemed to be struggling to see, as it tried desperately to wipe the foam from it's face. Candy took that opportunity to get to her feet and make a grab for the axe. Moving faster than she thought possible, Candy managed to grab the handle of the axe and rip it out of the bear's neck. Sparks of electricity erupted out of the bears neck as it let out another roar.

As the bear took a few clumsy steps forward, Gideon suddenly had an idea. He thought about it for a moment, and shrugged. "Worth a shot." he muttered, as he placed his fire extinguisher on it's side, and rolled it towards the bear. The bear stood on it and slid forward, landing on the floor was a tremendous thud.

The bear was struggling to get back to its feet as Candy stood over it, axe in hand. With a deep breath, she swung the axe down into the back of its head. Then, she did it again. And again. As she swung the axe, she let out a blood curdling yell.

Over and over again.

Eventually, finally, she stopped.

The bear appeared to have been rendered motionless.

Candy collapsed in a tired heap, gasping for air. As the rush of adrenaline slowly passed, it was quickly replaced with an intense fatigue. It took everything she had to force herself back to her feet, and retrieve the axe from it's place embedded in the back of the bears big head.

"We... We have to go..." muttered Candy, between gasps for air. "Find... A way out..."

Gideon felt his legs tremble, threatening to give way at any moment as he forced himself to stand. "Somethin' tell's me there ain't no 'exit' door..." he muttered.

"We-... We will find something." said Candy.

 _"Oh, no..."_

Candy froze, and Gideon sighed as a familiar whisper seemed to rise out of the bears limp body.

 _"We were too late... The clown... The clown is here..."_

The room suddenly seemed to dissolve into ash. All of a sudden, Gideon and Candy found themselves sitting in the middle of an enormous rock cavern. Most of the rock was black, save for a variety of stalactites hanging from the ceiling, all of which had been imbued with a deep red glow. A few feet in front of her, Candy could see what looked like a vast river of blood. Bobbing along the surface were hundreds of bodies. Each one of them small, and face down.

A long, chilling cackle shook the entire cavern.

"Times up, kids! Looks like you guys fail!"

Candy and Gideon grimaced as the voice of Pennywise seemed to shake the very air. Candy held her axe in her hands, and let out a low growl. "Shut up!" she bellowed. "I beat the bear! So-... So we win!"

The cavern was rocked by another long cackle.

"Look at that! Finally raising our little voice are we? Ain't that just the sweetest thing..." boomed Pennywise's disembodied voice. "But... I wasn't talking to _you_."

All of a sudden, there was a flash of movement. Without thinking, Gideon and Candy close to each other, as they were suddenly surrounded by the rest of the animatronic animals. The purple rabbit, the yellow bird, and the fox.

 _"I failed..."_ whispered the voice from the bear.

 _"We all failed..."_

 _"We could not save them..."_

 _"They never listen... Why do they never listen..."_

"Be quiet."

At the sound of Pennywise's voice, the whispers emanating from the animatronic animals dissipated in an instant. "It's such as shame... If only I had chosen more capable little monsters... Then maybe I would have gotten a nice little show. But you only ever managed to capture one of them! I mean, come on now- I could have gotten a better show out of that little rubber doll! At least he know's how to play the game!"

The animatronic animals remained perfectly still, as the ground began to rumble. All of a sudden, part of the ground began to rise up like an enormous bubble. Slowly, the bubble seemed to break away from the ground, and form into a perfect circle. Then, it popped. Sending a massive plume of thick black smoke into the air.

The smoke rose slowly to reveal the form of Pennywise the clown. It was still dressed in it's colorful, puffy clothes. And it's face was still covered in thick layers of old white make up. But as Candy stared up at the clown, she couldn't shake off a new, deeper sense of dread. She clenched her hands into fists when she noticed that Pennywise was carrying a pair of red balloons. Pennywise smiled. Revealing once again row after row of razor sharp, triangular teeth.

"I mean- the only one of you who even _did_ anything was old Fazbear. And look how he wound up! This is what I get for buying used products. If I ever find that purple guy... I'll be sure to register a complaint." said Pennywise.

With a sudden flick of his wrist, the lake of blood in the distance began to boil. The blood continued to twist and churn as it slowly turned into a thicker, darker substance. All of a sudden, enormous tentacles made up of the blackened bodies of hundreds of children rose up from the lake, and launched themselves across the cavern. In an instant, they had wrapped themselves around the animatronic animals.

Drowned screaming filled the air, as the animatronic animals were lifted up and then pulled back into the lake of blood. With that, the lake seemed to slowly calm down. Eventually reverting to a semi-motionless state.

Pennywise snickered to itself, as it stood over Gideon and Candy.

"Well, well- Haven't you two proved to be a pair of little survivors. When the two of you were caught in my little snare, I gotta admit- I was kinda disappointed. I mean... You both just _smell_ like bit-players. I was hopin' to catch somethin' with a little more... Substantial. Who'd a thought that when I went pokin' around in your little minds... That I'd find so many interesting little _tidbits_." said Pennywise.

"But, y'know... There's this thing that's just been really _grating_ on me. You two have such delicious memories... An endless array of terrible nightmares. Especially _you_." Pennywise extended a gloved hand to point at Gideon. "But no matter how hard I tried... I couldn't seem to find any _recent_ memories. That's an odd thing, y'know. I'm usually _real_ good at pickin' through memories. Finding those delicious jewels that just _drip_ with despair..." Pennywise licked it's lips as it spoke, sending waves repulsion through both Candy and Gideon.

"But no matter how hard I try to take a peek at your earlier memories... I can't. You're wearing uniforms with that _name_ plastered across it..." spat Pennywise. "And the last memories I can find before I can go no further... Involve entering that _school_."

"And yet... No matter how much I try to dive into those brains of yours... I can't get through that simple little barrier. So y'know what? I thought we might play a little game. It's called 'Tell me everything about _Lovecraft_ \- or get your insides eaten'. The game's really kinda self-explanatory." said Pennywise.

Gideon took a deep breath, and scowled. "You're an _idiot_." he spat. "You've been messing around with our memories. We probably don't even remember anything anymore."

"Oh, yes- She probably can't. But _you_ can. After all... You still have every last one of your memories perfectly intact... Don't you?" asked Pennywise.

Gideon said nothing. He simply crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.

"That's right... Now, why don't we play nice and tell me everything I wanna know. Unless you'd like me to start tearing out this little girl's eyeballs. Heck- I might even just do that anyway. It sounds like a good time." said Pennywise.

Gideon grit his teeth. "I don't know anything about Mister Lovecraft. He's just the principal of the school or whatever. That's it." he said.

Pennywise chuckled to itself. "Well, well- So he's still alive, huh?"

The room suddenly went silent, as Pennywise stood there with a blank look on it's face. Slowly, the pupils in it's eyes began to widen, until it's eyes had gone completely black.

" **ALIVE!? LOVECRAFT IS STILL _ALIVE_!?** " bellowed Pennywise, it's voice booming at such an incredible volume that it shook everything around them. As Pennywise yelled, it's jaw began to detach and widen. All of it's features began to grow as it's skin seemed to boil. As the flesh of it's face began to bubble up, it's arms grew longer. It's arms began to resemble a twisted mess of fur and scales, along with what appeared to be human teeth. Another set of arms began to sprout from it's side soon after. Quickly joined by yet another. These arms looked more like mangled tarantula legs.

As it's multiple arms grew outward, so did it's belly. Tearing through the dusty fabric of the clown costume, was an enormous belly with dozens of large yellow lights glowing brightly from inside. Pennywise twisted around, as it's legs grew and changed.

Before long, Pennywise began to resemble a giant spider. Only just small enough to avoid hitting the top of the cavern. It's multiple legs spread out wide, as it's enormous, protruding belly moved to the center of it's body, and then to the back. The belly began to look more like a giant abdomen. The lights inside of it continued to float amongst themselves, as tufts of hair began to pop up in random places all over Pennywise's body.

It's head grew larger as well, as it's jaw detached and widened to reveal a nearly endless row of razor sharp teeth all swirling around amidst the dark quivering flesh. It's eyes began to expel a thick black fluid as it's head continued to grow until it matched the size of the rest of it's body.

Clusters of human-looking teeth began to sprout from the surface of it's body in random places, much like the random tufts of hair. Even Pennywise's transformation seemed to slow down, one could still see a few pieces of it's clown costume spread across it's body. It's grotesque looking face was still wearing the thick white make up, and it's long frilly red hair had grown longer and dirtier. Now hanging from either sides of it's head like dead weight.

The bow-tie seemed firmly attached directly under it's misshapen head, and there were other shreds of it's old clown costume strewn all over it.

" **EXCELLENT! I WILL FINALLY HAVE MY CHANCE! AND I WILL EAT HIS BRAINS FROM HIS _SKULL_!** " boomed Pennywise, as it's head continued to grow into an enormous mass of teeth and pale white flesh. A pair of enormous red eyes opened up in the front of it's enormous face, along with a long toothy smile.

 **"Well then..."** muttered Pennywise. **"It appears that I have quite a lot of work to get too. First, I'll have to escape this little cage... So- I'm afraid our fun and games are going to have to come to an end."**

Candy took a deep breath. As she forced herself back to her feet, she had to resist the urge to groan. It took a moment of looking around for her to find her axe. It was lying on the ground, splashed with a thick black substance. With a small huff, she slowly picked up her axe and held it up in front of her. "...You... You talk too much..." she muttered. "You-... You second rate _demon_..."

Pennywise chuckled to itself. **"Oooh... Look at that. You've still got a little bit of that spark, don't you? That little flicker of false hope... It's a shame I don't have the time to properly snuff that out..."**

Gideon grimaced. To say that he was exhausted would be a dramatic overstatement. He felt like he had been reduced to a puddle of sweat and pain. Still, he held his hands out in front of him. And seeing that he could do that, he did his best sit himself up. From there, he worked at bringing himself up to his feet. His entire body had gone numb- save from the occasional twinge of pain.

"That... That'd never happen, _clown_. Candy... And her friends... Especially... Mabel... They don't give up. They ain't like _me_. It don't matter what you do... Or how big an' scary you are... None of it matters. They'll stop you. They can stop anything."

Pennywise opened it's enormous mouth to let out a long, thunderous laugh. **"Please. I am being _far_ above you filthy little animals. All I'll have to do... Is give you a mere taste of despair... And you will all be reduced to _nothing_. Here- Allow me to prove my point."**

All of a sudden, the red glow in Pennywise's eyes began to brighten. Flames began to rise up from between its lips, as it grinned.

Everything went still for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, a torrent of flames erupted from its mouth. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, as Candy watched the fire make it's way toward them. Then, she felt a push. And suddenly time seemed to go back to normal.

Candy found herself landing in the dirt, as the fire just barely missed her.

It was quiet for a moment, save for the sound of the smoldering earth.

Lying in the middle of the scorched earth, Gideon slowly raised his hands up in front of his face. He was on fire. His entire body had been engulfed in flames. But he didn't feel it. He didn't feel anything anymore. He stared at his burning hands for a moment. Then, his vision suddenly went blurry. And all of a sudden, his hands were made of wood.

"...I knew it..." he muttered.

He was still a wooden puppet. This entire time- he had still been a puppet. As he stared at his hands, they began to go black and crumble away.

'I was fooled...' he mused. 'I thought... I thought I'd been turned into a kid again... That I... Was _human_... Again... But... It was just a trick. All the pain... The... The ability to _feel_... Just another trick... By another dumb monster.'

Gideon sighed. He could hear what sounded like someone screaming, but it was quickly fading away. And before too long, everything else seemed to do the same. All of his thoughts... His emotions... His dreams and his nightmares... They all seemed to crumble away.

As his arms collapsed to his sides, his glass eyes began to melt.

'So... This... Is the end...' he thought.

'...Dang.'

Candy approached his body, just as it began to crumble away into nothing. The earth around him was charred and hot, but she ignored it. She stared at his burning wooden body for what felt like an eternity. Then, he vision suddenly blurred. It took her a moment to realize that she was crying. As she watched the fire, all of her memories came flooding back.

All of a sudden, she was no longer standing there in the body of a child.

She was herself again.

The cavern was filled with a long, dark chuckle as Candy stood there in silence.

"It looks like my little trick isn't working anymore... Oh, well. The fun and games are over now... So I suppose I don't need you to appear that way anymore."

Candy remained silent. Behind her, the lake of black liquid began to bubble. Tentacles began to rise from the liquid. Each one made of the blackened bodies of thousands of children, along with the still forms of the animatronic animals. The tentacles moved quickly- snatching Candy up and lifting her into the air.

"Don't worry... Once I'm done with all of your other little friends, I'll be sure to have them join you... I do hate to waste a good meal..."

As Candy was pulled into the lake, Pennywise shook the cavern with laughter.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

 _Sinking into an endless abyss..._

 _Plunging down... Further and further..._

 _The concept of time has slipped away... And she feels as if she has been sinking into the darkness for an eternity..._

 _She is surrounded by soft noises..._

 _Whispers..._

 _Weeping..._

 _Screams..._

 _As she continues to sink, she is engulfed in an all encompassing cold..._

 _It seems to smother her as she falls..._

"-andy?"

 _She frowned. As she sank into the deepest depths of the abyss, she could hear a familiar voice struggling to cut through all of the noise._

"Candy-!"

 _Candy opened her eyes. All that she could see all around her were the remains of children. Most of them were floating above her. Closer to the surface. Others had formed into long, giant tentacles that rose up from far below. Most of the tentacles were waving around aimlessly. But as she sank deeper, she began to notice that many of them had gone still. They had hardened, and turned white._

 _Most of them looked like enormous pillars of stone. But as she sank deeper, she began to notice others that had clustered into balls, all connected to each other with a series of thin white threads._

"Sorry."

 _Candy blinked, as the form of the animatronic bear suddenly appeared in front of her. It was sinking as well, only a few feet above her._

 _The bear was quickly joined by the others. The bird. The rabbit. And the fox._

"We wanted... To turn you into one of us..."

"To keep you from becoming... Like them..."

"The empty husks... The ones forced to become a part of the clown..."

"Left alive... Boiling in an eternal misery until your life force finally extinguished..."

"And you are reduced to white ash..."

 _Candy stared blankly at them. It was impossible to tell which one was speaking, as each of their faces remained perfectly still. Their voices seemed to emanate from somewhere inside of them._

"We knew... That we were giving the clown the show that it wanted..."

"By hurting you..."

"Hunting you..."

"But we had no choice..."

"It is our master..."

"We musn't disobey..."

"But... If we had succeeded..."

"Given you... A curse... Like ours..."

"Then perhaps... You could live with us... As a puppet..."

"We tried... And failed..."

"We... Are sorry... That you couldn't join us..."

 _Candy grimaced. Dozens of thin black strings began to wrap themselves around her. As the strings tightened, she felt her eyes begin to well with tears. Her life was being drained away... Her mind overcome by a deep, personal sadness._

"...Goodbye..."

 _A cloud of darkness rose from the depths of the abyss, and quickly engulfed her. The animatronic animals stared blankly as Candy completely disappeared under a veil of darkness._

"HEY! Didn't you hear me!? I am _tryin_ ' to talk to you!"

 _The animatronic animals jolted with surprise, as the cloud of darkness suddenly exploded like a puff of smoke. The dark cloud dissipated quickly, and the animatronic animals suddenly found themselves staring at Candy, and the transparent form of Gideon._

"Will you snap out of it already!? I do not have the patience for this." _grumbled Gideon._

 _Candy's eyes quickly fluttered open._ "...Gideon? Is... Is that you?" _she asked, as she slowly adjusted her glasses._

 _Gideon gave an exasperated sigh._ "Yes. It's me. The one and only." _he said._ "I've been callin' out to you for forever. What'd you go deaf or somethin'?"

 _Candy rubbed her temples and slowly shook her head._ "...No... Sorry..." _she muttered._

 _For some reason, that seemed to deflate Gideon completely. All of his haughtiness was suddenly replaced with a quiet discomfort._ "Yeah... Well... Whatever." he muttered. "Look- I managed to drag myself down here to give you a message."

 _Suddenly, the animatronic bear rose its voice._

"Are... Are you a ghost?" _it asked._

 _Gideon sighed._ "Uh, yeah- Listen, bear-robot... This is a private conversation. Go ruin a kids birthday party or somethin'."

 _Turning his back to the animatronic animals, Gideon took a deep breath._ "Listen... I don't know how much time I've got... So I need you to listen up." said Gideon. "Look- I know you're tired. But your can't afford to give up now... That clown-demon... Pennywise... It won't stop at you or me. It's gonna after Mabel. Along with everyone else..."

 _Candy frowned a little._ "...What-... What am I supposed to do? I-... All that I've managed to do is run and hide... I watched you get tortured... And-... And I let you die..."

 _Gideon gave a loud snort._ "You also managed to beat up that bear-robot real good... Right, bear-robot?" _asked Gideon, as he gestured toward the animatronic bear._

 _The animatronic bear twitched a little._ "...My name is-"

"Shut up, bear-robot. No-one said you could talk." _said Gideon. Ignoring the now despondent looking animatronic bear, and the disapproving glares of it's friends, Gideon continued._ "Look- what I did was my decision. Okay? Don't worry about it."

"No." _said Candy._

 _Gideon blinked._ "'No' _what_?"

"I will _not_ not worry about it." _said Candy._

"... _What_?" _sputtered Gideon._

 _Candy let out a low growl._ "...I will worry about what happened... You... You are dead now..."

 _Gideon sighed. Looking down, he could see through his own chest. He still looked like a puppet stuffed into a school uniform- even as a 'ghost'. Or whatever he was now... He wasn't sure. What he was sure of, was that he was dead. He didn't know why exactly he was so sure... He just was. Looking over at Candy, he briefly considered lying to her. Telling her that he was just a figment of her imagination- or maybe some kind of astral projection. But, he thought better of it._

 _Instead, he just took a deep breath and shrugged._ "Yeah, so? Look- it don't matter. What's done is done. No good's gonna come outta gettin' all mopey about it. Now- Are ya'll gonna let me say what I came here to say, or are ya just gonna keep talkin'?" _he asked._

 _Candy frowned._ "...I might." _she muttered._

 _Gideon sighed._ "Look-... I'm as good as gone now. That can't change. Just... Just let me say what I gotta say."

 _Candy's expression softened a little, and Gideon took that as a sign to move on._

"So, listen... I know that Pennywise seems unstoppable... But he ain't. He's actually really weak right now... He's probably been trapped here for a long time... Along with all the others... Anyway- You'll be able to fight him, as long as you do it before he lands himself a new meal. If he finds someone else... Or if you let yourself become one... Then it'll be too late. You'll have to be as fast as possible. Aim for the, uh... The yellow sack... Thing. It's belly... Or-... Or it's abdomen. Or, whatever... It's kinda hard to point it out when it starts transformin' and stuff. But- That giant sack with all the lights floatin' around inside... Those things make up it's core. Destory them, and you'll destroy the monster."

Candy adjusted her glasses. "...How... How do you know all of this?" _she asked._

 _Gideon went quiet for a moment. The strange dark space was filled once more with the sounds of whispers and screams, as Gideon stared off into the distance. Candy was just about to open her mouth to repeat her question, when Gideon suddenly spoke up again._ "...My mom told me in a bedtime story... A long time ago." _he muttered. His voice sounded oddly detached, as he continued to stare off into space._ "I-... I thought I'd forgotten... But... I had a reminder..."

"I see..." _muttered Candy._ "Is that all?"

"...Yeah. Just... Don't give up. If you give in to the despair, you'll wind up like one of these husks... Floating around in this big creepy lake. If you do-... Well, you probably get what's at stake." _muttered Gideon._

 _Candy nodded, slowly._ "I do."

"...Good. Well, I think that's everything, so-... I guess I'll be... Fading away." _muttered Gideon. As he spoke, his body slowly began to rise. His features were illuminated with a dull blue glow, as he began to dissolve into tiny blue particles._

"Wait!" _exclaimed Candy, as she grabbed him by the hand._

 _Gideon sighed, as the rest of his body continued to dissolve._ "...What?" _he muttered._

"You- You can not just disappear like that! Wha-... What about your parents? What about... What about Mabel? You will never get to see them again..." _said Candy._

 _Gideon struggled to retrieve his hand from Candy's vice-like grip, only to eventually give up with an exhausted sigh._ "How're you even doin' that? Shouldn't your hand just pass through me or something?" _he muttered._

"Gideon." _growled Candy, in a tone that demanded to be taken seriously._

 _Gideon went quiet._

 _Candy paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. Eventually, she manged to find her voice again._ "...Thank you. You... You saved my life." _said Candy._

 _Gideon huffed._ "Yeah, well- I've also almost killed you twice... Or thrice... So, you know..." _he muttered._

"I mean it. I-... I wish you had not... I mean, I wish that it had not turned out this way... But... Thank you, Gideon." _said Candy._

 _Gideon's eye turned downcast for a moment, before moving upward to meet her gaze._

"...You're welcome, Candy."

 _All of a sudden, his hand dissolved, leaving what was left of him free to float upwards. Gideon slowly closed his eyes, as his body dissolved into a mist of blue particles. Very quickly, the particles dissolved into nothing- leaving not a trace left._

 _As Candy stared up at the spot where Gideon used to be, she could feel the black threads start tightening themselves around her once again. Candy took a deep breath, and did her best to rip them all away. As she pulled the black threads off of her arms, she turned to face the animatronic animals. "How do I get back to the surface?" she asked._

"There is no way..."

"Impossible..."

"The moment you were dragged into this lake..."

"You were doomed..."

 _Candy ignored the voices of the animatronic animals as she continued to climb. As she moved, Candy could the slimy flesh of the tentacle trying to pull her into it. She grimaced as it slowly got more and more difficult to make her way up. Still, she continued. As she climbed, she could feel more and more black threads begin to wrap themselves around her. Every now and again, she was forced to pause for a moment to pull them off of herself._

 _As the black threads began to pile up, the voices all around her got progressively louder. Before too long, she was beginning to see flashes of images. People she loved, all dying. Their bodies being paraded around in an endless carnival, and then burned._

 _Candy grit her teeth._

 _She had been through all of this before. A few weeks ago, back in the school green house. She had been attacked by an army of green monsters, and captured by an enormous tree that was covered with eyes. It had captured her, and tried to destroy her mind. The area around her was trying to do the very same thing._

 _But she wasn't going to let it. She hadn't then, and she wouldn't now._

 _The animatronic animals continued to drone on about how hopeless it was to struggle. But she ignored them._

 _After all, she had just watched someone die. Someone she knew. Someone that she couldn't exactly count as a friend... But with time, she might have. He was just starting to change. She could feel it. Mabel probably had too. That was why she let him hang out with them. But now... It was over._

 _It had killed him._

 _As she climbed, Candy forced herself to ignore everything around her and focus on one thing._

 _The rage bubbling in her chest._

 _Pennywise had caused more suffering than she could ever comprehend._

 _And she was going to put a stop to it. No matter what._

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Eons ago, the Monster was born. Among its brothers and sisters, it did not stand out very much. It was just another in a long line of beings burst forth from the womb of the Great Old One. Like many of it's brethren, the Monster was born as a formless entity. Drifting across the lines between universes, searching for prey.

For the greater part of its existence, the Monster remained essentially mindless. In it's infancy, it would consume almost anything it came across. As it began to mature, however, so did its tastes.

Ordinary matter began to feel dry and tasteless. Before long, it had developed a taste for living beings. Not just any ordinary creature would do, either. It had to be something with a high cognitive ability. Something with a capacity for grand ambitions, dreams and nightmares.

Eventually, the Monster came across a creature that suited it's tastes perfectly.

Human beings.

The Monster had found an entire planet crawling with these delectable beings. In it's excitement, the Monster quickly rendered them extinct. Such is the folly of youth. However, as the Monster continued to explore the infinite multiverse, it wasn't long before the Monster found another planet of humans. Essentially the same as the other one. This was a phenomenon that the monster had observed before. Many universes were surrounded extraordinarily similar universes. 'Parallel' universes. Each one essentially the same, save for a few minor details.

There was a countless array of parallel universes that were home to human beings. All the Monster need do was be patient in choosing it's targets.

During its second hunt, the monster chose to bide its time. It would eat only a few choice specimens every few years, and then retreat to a cold place underground to hibernate. As it repeated this cycle, it continued refining its tastes. Eventually, it found itself preying almost exclusively on the young.

Children.

There was something about the fear of a child that deeply attracted the Monster. As time passed, it grew obsessed. The Monster began taking the form of a childs entertainer, so as to lull its prey into a perfect sense of false security. Then, the monster would relish in turning that sense of security into pure, unadulterated fear.

If the Monster could have been said to have anything resembling human characteristics, this was when the monster began to develop it's more sadistic tendencies. Unfortunately for the monster, this was quickly followed by the development of a far more prominent human characteristic. Arrogance.

Just as the Monster had begun to forge its own sense of identity, it was suddenly confronted by a rival. One of its sisters. A being of an awesome character, far beyond that of the Monster. Drunk with arrogance after having spent a long time dealing exclusively with human prey, the Monster attempted to protect its territory. For its effort, the Monster was simply batted away. Like nothing.

As it watched all of it's territory fade into oblivion, the Monster was forced to limp away to another Earth. Warped by feelings of anger at its own impotence, the Monster's sadistic streak began to take over entirely.

Decades would pass in this next Earth without an attack by the Monster. But when it did make an appearance, it would leave such deep seated fear in its wake that for the first time, the humans gave it a name. 'Pennywise the Clown'. The Monster was unaware of the origins of this name, but it was quick to take it as it's own. It enjoyed the hushed whispers that it's new name had brought. Before long, it became a part of human folklore.

This did much to soothe its still-bruised ego.

This would not last long, however- as the monster was soon confronted once more. This time, by a group of escaped victims who had grown into adults. The monster toyed with them, only to find itself defeated at the hands of mere humans.

As the Monster was forced to slink away to yet another parallel Earth, its mind began to fray. It developed an obsession with torture. With destroying minds, and feasting on the husks left over. Adding to his seemingly endless collection of victims.

The cycle continued a few more times. The Monster would consume it's victims one by one, until it eventually grew arrogant and careless. And it's carelessness would inevitably lead to another defeat.

Eventually, the Monster found an Earth that was teeming with all manner of magical creatures. All of them hidden in different corners of the planet, although just barely. Here, it was easier than ever to keep something of a low profile. The Monster enjoyed a few hundred years of travelling the globe, and sampling the tastiest of morsels. As it traveled, however, it began to find things it had never seen before. Barriers. Magical barriers that were actually capable of keeping the monster at bay.

It was maddening, but the Monster chose to ignore it.

As time passed, once again the Monster began to grow careless. And one day, it found itself confronted by a man named 'Lovecraft'. Over the course of a few days, the Monster tried desperately to destroy him. Even going so far as to kidnap his children.

This proved to be a mistake. And the Monster quickly found itself staring into the specter of death. However, the Monster refused to accept that it could be defeated by another human. So, it tried to fight back- and failed.

The Monster was left teetering on the edge of oblivion, and thrown into a new dimension. A cage. From which there was no escape. The Monster was left there to starve. With only a few toys it had picked up along its travels to entertain itself with.

The Monster did its best to spread its feelers out through tiny cracks in the cage to gather information. Unfortunately, all that it could gather was that its cage dimension was not the only one around. This space underground was almost like a jail. With dozens of other cages all around it. Some of them containing creatures far more powerful than itself.

As yet more time passed, the Monster yearned for new prey. It yearned for the sounds of fresh screams. It was not satisfied with relishing in it's own sadistic memories. No- it needed fresh prey. Desperately. The Monster had never felt as weak as it did right now... It needed strength. If it had enough of it, it could break out of its cage and descend on the world once again.

The Monster had separated itself into two pieces. One part was it's mind, and its body- while the other was essentially its stomach. This was the black lake. The Monster hoped that by separating itself like this, it could sneak through the cracks in the cage. Then, all it would have to do was bring the prey back to its cage, and drop them into its stomach. Once it had collected enough prey to feel like its old self again, the Monster would become one and destroy the cage.

It had already captured two new pieces of prey. One of them, however, turned out to be a mere puppet. The other, however... That one was going to be a treat.

The Monster could feel the girl still squirming in its stomach. Still brimming with life. The Monster chuckled. All of that lively energy... Was going to belong to it. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

Candy breached the surface of the lake gasping for air. She coughed and sputtered as she heaved herself out of the lake. She took a moment to catch her breath, as she struggled to find her footing on rocky floor of the cavern. Her body was numb and tired. As she took her first few steps forward, she did her best to shake off the feeling of fatigue that was weighing down on her.

As she looked around, she found that she was back in the same enormous rock cavern she had been in before. The place looked virtually the same. A wide expanse of black rock, illuminated by the dull red glow of the stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Candy felt her breath hitch in her throat when she noticed a familiar patch of charred rock. All of the fire had died down by now, leaving only the charcoal remains of Gideon lying in the middle.

Candy grit her teeth as she continued to scan the rest of the cavern. She couldn't see any trace of Pennywise anywhere- but she knew better than to drop her guard.

As she walked across the rocky floor, she grimaced. Her hands and her clothes were covered in a thick layer of black slime. A byproduct of having climbed one of the black tentacles all the way back to the surface. The slime gave off a smell that could only be described as 'rancid death'. Candy sighed, as she did her best wipe her hands off on her skirt. The air around her was thick with a very similar kind of smell, so there seemed to be no escaping it.

 **"Well, well... A familiar face... What is it that you think you're doing?"** Pennywises voice seemed to come from every direction, as it echoed across the cavern.

Candy tightened her hands into fists. She still couldn't see it- but it had to be close.

"Stopping you." she said.

The cavern trembled, as Pennywise gave a long chuckle.

 **"I see. And what is it you intend to do? Throw your eyeglasses at me?"**

"If I have too."

Pennywise chuckled once more. **"You know... Over time, I have grown pretty sick of you humans. All of you. You are all just so... _Arrogant_. And the worst part of it, is that you are all so very _weak_. How can creatures so deep pathetic come to think that you even have the right to oppose a creature at my level? Where does your species find all of this _hubris_?"**

Candy rolled her eyes, and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "...Do not pretend that you are any different. Every monster... Or creature... All of them share a variety of qualities. All of them are afraid of death. Whether consciously or sub-consciously. You... Are no different. I can feel it in your voice. In everything that you do. You are scared. And all that you want to do, is make everyone else feel the same. And that... That is so very _human_."

Pennywise roared, shaking the entire cavern. In an instant, it leapt out of the darkness ahead of her. It was still in the enormous, spider-like form that is had taken before. Pieces of it's body seemed to twist and shape into nothing, decorated with patches of puffy red hair and teeth. Pieces of it's old clown costume were still stretched across its enormous body, although most of it had been reduced to tatters. In flash of movement, Pennywise lashed out with one of it's spider legs. As it moved through the air, the leg suddenly took the form of a long bony hand and grabbed Candy. The hand was big enough to wrap itself around her entire body, rendering her almost completely motionless.

Candy struggled against the hand, as Pennywise slowly drew her up to it's face.

 **"You are not the first human brat to try and fight against me... You know what happens to them? The strugglers? They have their lives consumed... And they become a part of me. Just like all the others. You think that just because you're from one of those freak towns, you can face off against the likes of me? Please."**

As Pennywise spoke, black tentacles began to rise up from the river behind Candy.

"I will not let you have your way. I will keep crawling back out... No matter how many times you throw me back. You-... You killed someone. Someone I knew. And... You've killed countless more. You... You will not stop me from stopping you."

Pennywise let out a deafening rumble that sounded something like a cross between a growl and a roar. Pennywise turned Candy around to face the tentacles. **"Look at them! Try to geuss how much they suffered? It's impossible! I made sure to give them an experience beyond anything imaginable. Every one them tried to struggle. They all fought back... Their spirits engulfed in desperation. And to what end?"**

The tentacles began to writhe, as the blackened bodies and faces that made the tentacles seemed to squirm and struggle. Amonst the bodies, were the animatronic animals. All of them grouped together in the surface of one of the tentacles. Like before, they were all completely motionless. Even as the bodies around them continued to squirm.

 **"There is no 'stopping' me. I am far beyond anything like that. You, on the other hand... You are weak."**

Candy glanced over at the animatronic animals. Their cold eyes were all glued to her. Watching her, carefully.

Pennywise turned Candy back toward it's face, and snickered. **"I don't really care how much you struggle... All that it does is provide more entertainment for me. And I do hate to be bored."**

Pennywise watched with an amused grin, as Candy wrestled one of her arms free. She struggled to breath, as she felt Pennywise begin to squeeze her. Candy grimaced as she looked up at Pennywise's warped face. It had about a dozen eyes now, all of them warped and misshapen. Along with a long, wide smile. It's face was still caked with clown makeup. It's enormous lips were drenched with a thick layer of red, while the rest of its face was covered with layers of white.

Candy grit her teeth, as she felt anger searing in her chest. In an instant, she saw a flash of everyone who had ever made fun of her. Everyone who had pushed her around, and treated her like nothing. Or worse. She had spent her entire life letting those moments go by quietly. It was just easier that way. But it never made her feel any better.

Not this time. She wasn't going to give up, or go silent.

Candy bared her teeth, as she glared up at Pennywise. The rage boiling in her veins, as Pennywise smiled down at her.

"FUCK YOU!" she screamed, as she thrust her fist into Pennywise's face. There was a deafening boom, as Pennywise's face suddenly cracked like glass- sending a bright burst light flooding out. Pennywise let out a high pitched screech, as a good chunk of it's face suddenly crumbled away. As it reeled backward, it loosened its grip on Candy, sending her tumbling to the ground.

She bounced off of a part of Pennywises body, and landed on her shoulder. Ignoring the sudden explosion of pain, she scrambled to her feet. As Pennywise fell backward, she noticed the enormous sack protruding from underneath its abdomen. It looked like an enormous see-through belly, with a variety of bright yellow lights floating around inside.

Doing her best to ignore the screaming pain in her shoulder, Candy ran toward it. Pennywise roared, as Candy suddenly grabbed the sack and began to pull at it. It took a lot of effort- but soon enough, she managed to tear a hole in it. Reaching inside, Candy pulled out one of the lights. The light looked like a large glowing light-bulb, about the size of her fist. It was attached to a black string that lead back into the belly. Thinking quickly, she pulled it as hard as she could. There was a loud snap, as the thread connected to the bulb snapped. The bulb suddenly went dim, and Candy quickly tossed it aside.

Pennywise's entire body began to spasm, as Candy reached inside and grabbed another one. She had only barely managed to rip it out, before the hole she had made in the belly suddenly closed up. The entire sack began to withdraw into Pennywise's body, and Candy cursed as Pennywise's entire body began to change form once again.

The sack moved up to it's torso, as it's body began to stretch upward. A series of long white arms began to sprout up across the sides of it's torso and wrap themselves over the sack as protection. It looked like a series of hairy ribs wrapping around a deflating balloon. It's head seemed to open up like a book, revealing a sick mess of grey skin and teeth. It's enormous abdomen began to take the form of a long tail, with more white arms sprouting out in random places. Each one of them writhing about like a tentacle.

Candy scurried out of the way as Pennywise shook the cavern with a bellowing roar.

It's legs seemed to fold into its body, making Pennywise look something like a nightmarish version of a snake. Billows of puffy red hair began to sprout around its neck, as Pennywise wound it's head back. Candy quickly dived behind a series of rocks just as the cavern was suddenly filled by a torrent of flames.

By the time it was finished, some of the rock in the cavern had begun to melt. Candy grit her teeth. Her shoulder was still in a tremendous amount of pain, and she was pretty sure Pennywise had managed to set fire to part of her hair. Still- she was alive.

Patting down the flames in her hair, the cavern suddenly shook with the sound of Pennywise's voice.

" **WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?** "

Candy froze. With a few shallow breaths, Candy carefully peaked out from behind a large rock.

Pennwise was snarling and writhing in it's new form. And standing directly in front of it, were the animatronic animals. The bear, the rabbit, the bird and the fox. They were all standing in the middle of the charred cavern, remaining perfectly still.

 **"GET BACK! BACK TO THE LAKE! _NOW_!** " bellowed Pennywise.

The animatronic animals took turns slowly shaking their heads.

 _"...No..."_

 _"We will not..."_

 _"You..."_

 _"You are... Weak."_

The voices of the animatronic animals came out as whispers, but they still managed to echo throughout the cavern.

 **"YOU! YOU DARE BREAK THE CONTRACT!?"** bellowed Pennywise.

All of the animatronic animals gave a small nod, one by one.

 _"Yes..."_

 _"We... Do not have to follow..."_

 _"...Something... So..."_

 _"Weak..."_

The cavern shook like never before, as Pennywise roared. **"YOU HAVE BEEN CONNECTED TO ME! IF I AM DESTROYED- YOU WILL ALL FOLLOW SUIT!"**

Once again, all of the animatronic animals gave a single nod each.

Pennywise gave a long, high-pitched growl. **"...Very well. I have no use for toys such as yourselves anyway... I'm sure I'll find better things to replace you..."**

The animatronic animals launched themselves at Pennywise in an instant. Pennywise once again launched a torrent of fire from a small hole in it's face- but it wasn't fast enough. The bear landed directly on Pennywise's 'ribs', and immediately grabbed one of them and began to pull. Pennywise let out another roar, as it twisted its body around in a vain attempt to shake the bear off.

Eventually, the bear managed to rip out one of the long ribs, and quickly stabbed it into Pennywise's belly. Pennywise howled, as the bird ripped away tufts of it puffy red hair and climbed over its face. The bunny and the fox were climbing up Pennywise's body, ripping away anything they could as they made their way toward the ribs.

Pennywise shuddered as it began to sprout another set of long white arms from its back. The arms reached forward with long bony fingers, and managed to bat away the bear. The rabbit managed to rip away another one of Pennywise's ribs, before being picked up by the hands and flung into the ceiling. The fox slashed away at Pennywise's belly with it's hook-hand, before it was suddenly pulled off by Pennywises enormous white hands. Pennywise wrapped one hand around its legs, and the other around it torso- and pulled until it ripped the fox in half.

Tossing the two halves to the side, Pennywise let out another torrent of flames just as the bird managed to position itself directly over its face. The hard rubber casing covering it's animatronic skeleton was quickly melted away- but it still persisted in clawing at Pennywise's face.

Candy gasped, as something suddenly smacked against the rock she was hiding behind. Glancing over, she saw that it was the top half of the fox. The fox's body continued to twitch and whir, as it slowly turned its head to face Candy. The fox blinked it's eye slowly, as Candy stared down at it.

Eventually, Candy found her voice. "Can I... Can I borrow your hook?" she asked.

The fox twitched and sparked, and then it nodded. _"...O-Okay... W-would you like my eye-patch, too? It's really cool..."_ whispered the fox.

"Uh... No thank you." muttered Candy.

The fox used its left hand to detach the hook from its right arm, and then slowly offered it to Candy. Candy picked it up, slowly. "...Thank you very much." said Candy. With that, she turned around and raced toward the enormous figure of Pennywise. As she stood in front of it, hook in hand, she grimaced. The belly of lights was higher up than she thought. Candy grimaced.

"Great... More climbing..." she muttered.

Before Candy could get started climbing the tall, writhing figure of Pennywise, however, she was suddenly stopped by another one of the animatronic animals. This time, is was the rabbit. It was missing an ear, an eye, and it's entire bottom jaw.

"Let... Me... Help..." whispered the rabbit.

Candy blinked, and before she could register what was happening, she found herself being picked up, spun around, and then flung at Pennywise. She let out an involuntary scream as she flew through the air. She landed with a 'smack' on Pennywises belly, and was quick to use the hook to keep herself from sliding down. Pennywise roared, as Candy did her best to get some footing on one of the ribs, before she began to cut into the belly and grab at the glowing bulbs inside.

Pennywise roared as it made a grab for Candy with one its enormous white hands. However, it's reach was suddenly stopped short. On it's back, the rabbit had grabbed the arm from where it had sprouted from. As the rabbit pulled at the left arm, Pennywise was using the other to try and pull the animatronic skeleton of the bird off of it's face.

The cavern was filled with all manner of noises emanating from Pennywise, as Candy continued to pull out the glowing bulb, a few at a time. There was a loud ripping sound, as the rabbit suddenly managed to rip out one of the big white arms. Pennywise squirmed, almost managing to cause Candy to slip off. As Pennywise roared, the fox's torso began to climb up it's body by grabbing with one hand, and simply stabbing into the surface with the metal stump where its hook used to be.

Eventually, Pennywise managed to grab the bird with its right hand, and crush it. After flinging the birds remains away, it began to grab for Candy. As the giant white hand launched itself at her, the bear suddenly appeared on Pennywises side, and ripped away another one of the ribs to stab the hand. Pennywise screeched, as the rabbit tried to rip off the other arm, and the bear joined Candy in ripping out the glowing bulbs.

Pennywise began to shake wildly in desperation, as the fox's torso found its way on to one of the ribs, and joined Candy and the bear in ripping out more and more of the bulbs.

Eventually, Pennywise had enough. It flung its body around, sending Candy flying off of it. Then, Pennywise began to roll around in the ground, desperate to some how remove the bear, the fox and the rabbit. Candy landed next to the mangled remains of the bird, as Pennywise's entire body began to glow in a bright white light. There was a massive bang- and the bear, the fox and the rabbit were suddenly launched off of Pennywise's body.

With a high pitched hiss, Pennywise slithered away from them, and crawled into the lake.

Candy got to her feet.

It wasn't over yet. She could feel it.

Without thinking about it, she ran towards the lake. Behind her, the animatronic animals slowly gathered together. Standing at shore of the black lake, she quickly spun around. "Thanks for the hook, fox!" she yelled, as she threw the hook towards the animatronic animals. The hook landed beside the fox's limp torso.

 _"You are welcome..."_ whispered the fox.

 _"And... Thank you..."_

 _"From all of us..."_

Candy stared at the animatronic animals for a moment. The bear was the only one on it's feet- but like all the others, it had been severely burned and mangled. The only real identifying feature left on the bear was its top hat. Some how, that seemed to have remained almost completely unscathed.

Candy gave them a short, awkward wave.

"...Goodbye." she said, before turned around and diving into the lake.

The animatronic animals moved closer together, and waited.

"... _Goodbye_."

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

 _Everything was murky..._

 _There were tentacles everywhere..._

 _Some of them launched themselves at her, but she easily avoided them. Moving her legs did little to propel her further down, but she did anyway._

 _Eventually, she saw it._

 _Pennywise, sinking downward. It's face torn apart, its ribs ripped away, and the surface of its skin covered in cracks and long scars. It's belly had exploded, and from inside, she could see two bulbs peeking out. They were glowing brightly. All of the others had been ripped away. Those were the last of them._

 _Candy moved further, and further down. Once again, her body was quickly weighed down by a mess of thin black threads. This time, she didn't even bother removing them._

 _As she avoided yet another tentacle lazily swiping at her, she pressed her feet against it- using it to launch herself further down. It didn't take long for her to reach the final two bulbs. They were floating outward from a mass of black strings inside Pennywise's stomach. She grabbed them, one in each hand._

 _ **"N-no... No... W-... Wait..."** whispered Pennywise._

 _Candy simply shook her head._

 _"No."_

 _In an instant, she ripped them away. All of the still moving black tentacles suddenly turned white, and Pennywise's body did the same. Everything around her began to rumble, and Candy braced herself. For a moment, Pennywise appeared to have turned into a marble statue of itself. Then- it began to crack. Bursts of blinding light shot from every crack._

 _Candy closed her eyes._

 _Everything around her, including Pennywise, seemed to explode all at once._

 _And for one beautiful moment... There was silence.  
_

 _No more screaming..._

 _No more weeping..._

 _It was finally over._

* * *

* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *

* * *

When Candy felt her eyes flutter open, she found herself lying in the middle of a familiar hallway.

Her hair was singed. She was bruised all over. But above all, she was deeply and utterly exhausted. Still, she leaned against a wall and forced herself to her feet.

"I-... I have to find Grenda and Mabel... A-and... Marius..." she muttered, as she shifted herself forward.

Her determination was stronger than ever. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Before long, her legs gave way under her own weight and she found herself lying on the floor once again. Her eyelids slowly drooped downward.

"...Maybe... Maybe just... A moment... Of... Rest.." she whispered, as she felt her consciousness slowly fade away.

From somewhere in the deepest recesses of her mind, a familiar voice tentatively cleared its throat.

"...Well... That was interestin'..."

* * *

 _To be continued..._

* * *

(AN: Okay. So. ... This took a long time. A very long time. For all manner of reasons... This was a difficult chapter, I've been dealing with a crippling amount of writers block, and I've been inundated by every day distractions. However, through it all- I've always been thinking about this story. I want to finish it. And I want to write what I want to write.

I wanted to write a 'Pennywise vs Gideon & Candy' story, and I think I've done that. I'm sorry that it's so long... And I really, really hope you liked it. This was a lot of work.

I'm also sorry that it's taking so long to get back to Dipper and Pacifica. Unfortunately, this 'Dunwich Arc' is kinda important to the overall story. But, look... I can promise this. The next chapter will almost definitely be the last chapter of this 'Dunwich Arc'. I've got some stuff planned for Mabel, Marius, Grenda and Lillith... And I'm going to do my best to weave it all together in the next chapter.

Trust me- no one is looking forward to Dipper and Pacifica more than I am. I just can't really think of any other way to do this. Dipper and Pacifica have their own story going on while the 'Dunwich Inn' stuff is going on, and it's kinda... Separate. There is, of course, always a chance that I'll think of some awesome way to throw them back into the story... But I really wanted to give the others their own adventure...

*sigh*)

Now, I would love to spend some time going over reviews and stuff, but this thing is far too long already. So- I'll just give a few shout outs.

First of all- A special thank you to _Samurai Prince_ , who has been an incredible help to me ever since I forced him to beta this chapter piece by piece. A truly sincere thank you, for all of your help and support. It means a great deal.

Thank you as well to _Smoothi3_ , _mdizzle_ , _Imnotaguestanymore_ , _LainaFantasyGirl_ , _Diana Huntress Pines_ , and everyone else who has been kind enough to review this story so far. I'm sorry that I didn't have room to thank each one of you individually- but make no mistake... I really, deeply, appreciate it.

And a very special thank you to _coldblue_. Thank you so much for going through the trouble to go so in depth with your reviews. You really go the extra mile, and I can't thank you enough for that.

Now, I haven't even gotten started on chapter twelve yet... But I'm going to have to tackle a *lot* of stuff. I don't know how it's gonna go... But rest assured. I will not be stopping this story until I finish it. I mean it.

Until next time... Thanks again for reading, an extra special thank you if you take the time to review- and have a good day.

(( Oh- and please note that I *did* wind up deleting a few reviews that I thought went a little far in demanding that I update as soon as possible. Reviews that only contain the word 'Update!' or 'Update or else!' will probably be removed.))


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